Head Case
by TheReaperGrimm
Summary: Shingeki no High School. Eren is a freshman high school student with DID (split personality disorder) and is prone to black outs when his alter ego, The Titan, takes control. His attacks have become less frequent until he meets Levi, an angry sophomore obsessed with cleaning, who elicits the rage of The Titan. Modern, A/U, Multichap. Ereri/Riren
1. School Blues

**I do not open the image above or any of the characters, and blah blah blah. My first Modern AU fic! Sorry I haven't updated my other fics yet, I was in a slump, but I'm out now!**

I didn't mind it when they told me I was different. I didn't mind it when they started taking me to various doctor. I didn't mind it when they poked and prodded at me with their intrusive hands and asked me questions till my mind ran dry. I didn't mind it when they numbed me with their various drugs and had me sleep the days away. But this? It irritated the fuck out of me.

"I don't wanna go to group therapy Dad," I grumbled as my mother fussed with the collar of my shirt.

"Eren, it's for your own good. We didn't make you take anger management classes because Jean would be there, so please just do us this one favor. Who knows? Maybe you'll make some new friends, eh?" my father asked me with a smile.

"I'm not gonna sit in a room full of crazy people and talk about my feelings Dad. I hate people. You know I'm not a people person."

My Dad frowned, "And that is the reason why you only have a hand full of friends Eren. You're young, and you need to socialize. It's only healthy. Tell him Carla."

My mother cupped my cheek and smiled at me. Her light brown eyes softened as they settled on me, and I had to fight back a smile of my own, "Eren, baby, just do as your father asks please? I know you don't want to go, but it's for the best. Try and be nice to the other kids okay? That's all I ask. It would be wonderful if you made some new friends. It gets awfully lonesome around the house when you only ever invite Armin over."

"Okay Mom, I'll go to the stupid group therapy," I huffed, wavering at my mother's smile.

My father shot my mother an appreciative look and he ruffled my hair playfully, "Thank you son. I'll pick you up after school's out and drop you off at the class, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah yeah," I said as I swung my book bag over my shoulder, "Mikasa?" I yelled as I opened our front door, "Hurry up, we're gonna be late to school."

"I'm here Eren," she replied softly.

I turned around to look at my sister. Her cropped black hair was neatly brushed and framed her pale skin nicely. Mikasa had on a plain white shirt, a black skirt, black flats, and her signature red scarf. One strap of her back pack lazily hung off her shoulder. The simplicity of my sister's clothes did nothing to hinder hear natural beauty, and I had gotten into many fights to defend my sister against unwanted suitors, although she could throttle anyone who dared cross her path. Her face was as blank as ever, but her coal black eyes held the faintest bit of emotion as she regarded me with her ever soft voice. Mikasa looked nothing like me, or my small family. She didn't have wide green eyes like my father and I, and she didn't have chocolate brown hair, but I loved my sister anyways. Adopted or not.

I twisted the doorknob opened and shouted my good byes to my parents. My father, Grisha Jaeger, would drive us to school occasionally, but I preferred to walk. My father's car was always a mess with paperwork and smelled of cough syrup, and various other medicines, due to his job as a doctor. Carla Jaeger, my mother, was a stay at home housewife. She always wore a bright smile, unless she was scolding me, and kept our home spotless. We were a typical family with a working father and stay at home mother. Mikasa was the dutiful daughter, who excelled in everything she did, but was quiet in nature. I suppose I fit the bill of the rowdy fuck up son. I shrugged my shoulder, my best friend—or rather only friend, Armin exited the house across from us, and joined us on the sidewalk.

"Eren! Mikasa! Good morning!" he shouted as he waved happily. His bright blue eyes were as excited and innocent as ever, and his small arms clutched a fat stack of books to his chest. He wore a simple grey shirt with a mathematic equation on it, dark wash jeans, and black converse. He had a brown messenger bag filled with books strapped across his chest. His blonde hair was halfheartedly brushed and hung off his pale face. Armin wasn't very gifted in the fashion department, much like me. I threw on a plaid shirt and black jeans, and my beat up shoes without much care or thought. My mother often scolded me for my sloppy appearance but I didn't mind. I didn't go to school to impress anyone.

"Hello Armin," Mikasa greeted him in her soft tone.

"Hey Armin, need help?" I asked the small blonde as he struggled with the books.

"I'd appreciate that!" he laughed as he handed me a few of his books, "I was up late last night studying for the history test. My parents told me to sleep, but grandpa stayed up and helped me."

"Why bother Armin? You're like, a genius," I said as we walked to school.

"Grades are important Eren! I need a 4.0 to get into the college I want," Armin said with bright eyes.

I sighed, "I know. But like I said, you're a genius; you'll get accepted to any college you want. I for one, am not gonna worry about that stuff anytime soon. We're still freshmen, after all."

"I know," he said as we crossed the street and headed toward the dreaded Titan High School. Hoards of faceless students blurred passed me as Mikasa, Armin, and I walked into the school. There was mindless chatter and laughing and I rolled my eyes. I was desperate to get out of the cage society trapped us in, while those idiots reveled in it.

I fumbled with my locker, which was atop Mikasa's and next to Armin's. I pulled out the books I was supposed to take home last night to study from and stuffed them into my back pack. I pulled out a few notebooks that were filled of doodles instead of notes, and threw my math book in my locker, so I would have an excuse to leave that boring shit hole. When I was finished, Mikasa, Armin and I walked off. Mikasa and I headed to our own level English class while Armin was across the hall at an AP English class. The boy was an over achiever. If he didn't insist on a higher level of learning, my father could have arranged for Armin to be in classes with Mikasa and me. Instead, Armin and I only shared lunch and P.E. together, while Mikasa's schedule was identical to mine. If my father had not arranged for Armin and Mikasa to have classes with me, I would have been completely alone, and without any friends.

My parents constantly nagged me about many things, but they never stopped harping on my lack of friends. When I was younger, I would often coop myself up in my room away from the world and silently play with my toys. When Armin's family moved in across the street from us, my parents had been delighted and they became even more excited when they found out the Arlert family had a son my age. They were probably shitting rainbows buy the time Armin and I had naturally become friends, despite our parents' constant pushing. Armin was different than the other kids. He had his heart set on exploring the world, much like his parents. His father was a pilot, and his mother a flight attendant, and his grandpa a veteran soldier. He would excitedly tell me stories about their travels and show me pictures in his various books. I became enamored with the world outside my home town just as Armin was, and together we swore to leave our small town one day to see the world.

I waved to Armin as he headed into his class, and I begrudgingly walked into my own. I walked past the other kids and took my normal seat on the right, at the front of the class, closest to the door. Mikasa took her usual seat behind me, and as the other students piled in, the class on my immediate left stayed empty, as usual. Everyone had quickly learned to sit as far away from me as humanly possible, due to all my "problems". As the bell rung, our English teacher, Mr. Shadis began droning on about Shakespeare as I doodled in my notebook. My parents told me I was a good artist, but I thought otherwise. The sketches they had seen were simple and lifelike, such as flowers in my mother's garden, or a bowl of apples. But the sketches in my notebook were of everyone in my stupid fucking school dying horrible deaths. As I glared at Jean, who was eyeing Mikasa up from the back of the room, I sketched him choking to death on a barrel of hay, like the horse he was.

I was so caught up in my drawing that I almost didn't notice the class room door swinging open.

"Sorry I'm late sir! I'm new here and I couldn't find the class and big brother and Farlan drew me this really crummy map to follow but I couldn't understand it!" an excited female voice cried.

I lazily lifted my head to find the source of the shrill voice. In front of my desk stood a small, red headed girl with bright green eyes. Her short hair was pulled into two pigtails, and she had a pink bow in her hair. She wore a baggy bright blue sweater, and tight jeans. On her feet were knee combat boots. She was eccentric to say the least. She was pretty I supposed, if you were into the annoying, loud in your face type, which I definitely was not.

"I guess it's alright Miss…" Mr. Shadis began.

"Isabel Mongolia!" she said pointing a thumb at herself.

"Right, well Miss Mongolia the only seat is next to Mr. Jaeger there, so get settled in. I expect you not to be late ever again though," Mr. Shadis said with his angry voice and death glare.

"Yes sir," she said as she gulped and took the empty seat next to me.

The girl nosily pulled out her notebook and began to drum her fingers on the desk, and bounced her leg excitedly. I let out an aggravated sigh and continued to doodle, focusing on Jean's strained expression as he choked to death. Out of his nose I drew leaking blood. To add a bit more flavor to my masterpiece, I drew a horrified Marco Bodt discovering Jean's body, although Marco himself was a saint. The world was once again lost to me until I heard Mr. Shadis slam a textbook down on Connie Springer's desk for sleeping. The sleeping bald boy had shot up immediately, and his faced flushed with embarrassment. The boy was one of my sometimes friends, and I sent him a sympathetic look. Everyone else laughed while I rolled my eyes Shadis as began talking about a project on a novel of our choice after the laughter died down.

"Groups of two or three, you have a week before it's due," he said, "Pick your groups wisely, don't pick someone like say Mr. Springer, who might slack off and land you an F. Once you've picked your groups, you runts may rearrange your desks, but I expect them to be placed in their normal order before you leave. These projects better be creative, surprise me runts. Don't disappoint me."

The other students began to excitedly chatter and move around their desks. The groups and pairs were formed just as the social hierarchy would allow, which meant if Mikasa wasn't in my class, I would've been working solo. I turned my desk around to face Mikasa, who wore her same emotionless expression. She pulled a book out of her book bag and began to quietly read, knowing well that I wouldn't be starting the project until it was almost due, which would result in Mikasa doing much of the work. We sat in silence until a shrill sound burst our bubble.

"Hi there! I'm Isabel Mongolia, and I'm new here. I don't really know anybody and you guys seem cool. Can I work with you guys?"

I looked up from my notebook and found myself face to face with the excitable red head who busted into class late. She was slightly bent over and stretched across my desk. She was so close to my face I could feel her breathing. Her wide green eyes stared into my golden ones expectantly, and I frowned. I could feel Mikasa glaring at the girl silently.

"No," I growled as I leaned away from the girl.

"But why not?" the girl pouted as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I already have a partner," I said, glad the loud girl had given me back my personal space.

"But everyone else is already paired up," she argued, attacking Mikasa with wide, puppy dog eyes.

"Eren, let's let her work with us, just this once," Mikasa said.

"Yessss! Thank you!" the girl squealed.

I shot Mikasa an angry glare as the loud red head pulled her desk over towards us. Mikasa shrunk a bit in her seat and rested a comforting hand atop mine. Angrily, I pulled away, but Mikasa didn't falter. She was always doing this. Always babying me with her soft words and silent eyes. For a girl that once beat up a gang of boys in our neighborhood for giving me a black eye, she was awfully motherly. She would coddle me, just as my parents did. But no matter how much I would try to push her away, she would always stick by me, like my shadow.

I was grateful for that, I suppose, because I could always count on her. No matter how much Mikasa babied me, I never let my anger get the best of me when I regarded her. I would yell at her, and berate her, but I would never lay a hand against my sister. And even if I did, I was more than certain she could kick my ass. But even as I yelled at her, and tore her down with my angry words, Mikasa never wavered. She would stay by my side and accept my anger with grace, all the while maintaining her ever expressionless face. She didn't argue with me, like my mother would, or lecture me like my father would. No, not Mikasa. Never Mikasa. She took my anger like a champ.

"So you already know, my name is Isabel, what are your names?" Isabel asked as she settled into her seat.

"I'm Mikasa, and that's Eren," Mikasa answered, knowing full well I wouldn't speak.

"Well hello Mikasa and Eren! Are you guys like, dating?" Isabel asked.

I rolled my eyes. Mikasa tugged on the scarf around her neck as she answered, "No, he's my brother."

"Your brother huh? You guys look nothing alike! That's alright though, cause me and my big brother look nothing alike too! I guess we have something in common," Isabel laughed.

"We are nothing alike," I murmured, already starting to hate the loud, red headed girl.

"What was that?" Isabel asked me.

I looked at the girl with a disinterested expression, before doodling once more. The girl shrugged her shoulders and began engaging Mikasa in a very one sided conversation. Although I feigned disinterest, I obversed the new girl carefully. I already had a perceived perception of the Isabel, but I watched her, just to back up claims. I was pretty good at judging a person's character even though I never spoke to anyone. It was something I learned to do when I was younger, and constantly monitored by the doctors. It was an awkward time in my life, but I didn't really mind it.

I obversed Isabel as I drew and I added a few new observations to my mental note of her. She was a happy person. She often spoke of her big brother, although she never stated his name, a boy named Farlan Church, and Uncle Kaney. She was naturally confident as she presented her projects ideas to Mikasa and I. She eventually settled on a power point slideshow, after much deliberation. As I previously noticed, she was loud and demanding, but overall, she was a decent person I supposed. When it was almost time for class to let out, I silently adjusted Mikasa's desk for her, and began to rearrange mine. As I fixed my desk, Isabel jumped in front of me with a wide smile.

"Hey Eren, even though you don't talk much, I think you're pretty cool. Thanks for letting me be in your group!" she said cheerfully.

I blatantly ignored the girl and sat silently at my desk until the bell rung. I ignored Isabel again when she excitedly waved at Mikasa and I before running off to her next class. When I looked at Mikasa, she shrugged. With the red headed nuisance out of my way, the rest of the day when off without any issues. Mikasa stayed by my side as my quiet shadow, and ignored the rest of the world. Or maybe the world ignored me? I guess it was a matter of perception, but I liked to believe that I was being defiant, and ignoring the mundane world around me.

At lunch, I ate my usual peanut butter and jelly sandwich with chocolate milk my mother packed me, and chatted animatedly with Armin. Connie Springer, the bald headed slack off, sat at our table, along with Sasha Braus, who became my half acquaintance when I was partnered with her in home ec instead of Mikasa last semester. Hanji Zoe, an eccentric girl with a sloppy ponytail sat with us as well. She became friends with Armin in their AP biology class, and to be honest, I didn't mind the strange girl. She was ridiculed by a lot of other students, but she was genuinely nice, despite being a bit annoying. Historia Reiss, a short and kind blonde girl sat with us as well as her wolfish girlfriend Ymir. Historia was Armin's cousin, and the only reason we put up with her fouled mouthed girlfriend was because Historia herself was so sweet. Annie Leaonhart, a girl I met at the hospital, also silently sat with us, along with her friends Reiner and Bertolt. Annie was quiet, Bertolt was level headed, and Reiner was loud and bursting with life. Jean and Marco sat at the end of our table, much to my annoyance.

I suppose I could call them my friends if I wanted to. We hung out at school, and whenever my mother forced me to, I would go out with them to various social gatherings. But I never invited anyone but Armin home. We all texted, but I never talked to them on the phone. In fact, I had no intention of keeping up with any of them after graduating. They hadn't known me when I was younger, and worse off. If I were to have another episode, I would highly doubt any of them would visit me in the hospital, but I allowed them to occupy my time. When I got to high school, my parents told me it would be a grand opportunity to make a new identity for myself, instead of being "the school freak". Since I hadn't known any of the other kids except Mikasa, Armin, Annie, and Jean, when I was younger, I was able to be something other than the school weirdo to them. These were the few I could handle without going berserk. The least I could do was be friendly I guess.

"Another PB&J sandwich Eren?" Reiner asked, "You're so lucky your mom makes your lunch! The cafeteria food tastes like ass."

"Yeah, she packed me some leftover lasagna too," I said with a shrug.

"Lucky bastard," Reiner laughed as he bit into his apple.

"Agreed. You're fucking lucky mommy takes such good care of you and Mikasa," Ymir said as she scarfed down what appeared to be chicken.

As I glared at the brutish girl, Historia sent me an apologetic look and chastised Ymir, "Behave," Historia scolded her while wagging her small finger in an authoritative manner.

"I don't think the cafeteria food is all that bad guys," Sasha said with a mouth full of food.

"That's because you'd eat anything," Connie said, making everyone at the table, including me laugh, "I'm not kidding guys. One time Reiner and I told Sasha that my dog's treats were cookies, and she ate the entire box."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Sasha said, swiping a piece of bread off Jean's tray.

We all laughed again, and I could feel myself relax a bit. My mother said that I was always hot headed and angry, so it felt nice to have a group I could feel relaxed with. After lunch was over, I slipped back into my antisocial shell, and waited for the last class of the day, and the best class, gym. We didn't do much work in gym class, and we always got to do something entertaining. Most of my lunch group was in my gym class too, which wasn't a bad thing.

We played a rousing game of dodge ball in gym, and I had an excuse to knock Jean around with a bunch of inflated balls. I spent a majority of the time defending Armin, and attempting to defend Mikasa, who turned into a one woman army after Bertolt accidently pegged me in the gut. After I was hit, we engaged in an all-out war, laughing all the while. I ended up with a bloody nose, Bertolt got a black eye, and Marco split his lip protecting Jean. When gym class ended, I took a brief shower and got redressed. I was all but dragging my feet by the time the bell rung and school was out.

"Why the long face Eren?" Armin asked me with a concerned look.

"My dad's making me go to group therapy," I spat.

"Eren, it's for your own good, you know that," Mikasa said as she fiddled with her scarf.

"I agree with Mikasa Eren. It might be a good thing for you. You'll be able to let off some steam and meet some new people."

"I don't wanna meet new people," I grumbled as we weaved through the other students. A few people bumped me, but I bit back my anger when I felt Mikasa tug on my sleeve.

"Eren, don't be like that," Armin scolded me, "Your dad isn't trying to make you angry. He just wants to help. This could be a good thing for you if you would only try—OOF!"

Armin was cut off mid-sentence as a small, dark haired figured collided with him. The person didn't even stop as Armin fell to the floor and dropped the books he was carrying. He turned around and regarded us with a careless expression and kept walking. For that brief moment, I stared at the asshole, memorizing his slate grey eyes, high cheekbones, and black undercut. I may not have a chance to smack him now, but I vowed to knock the little twerp out for running into Armin without even batting an eyelash. Mikasa pulled Armin to his feet as I collected his spilled books and papers. Anger coursed through my veins as small tears filled my best friend's eyes. I wanted to punch the little fucker in the throat.

Armin sniffled softly, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Mikasa quietly tugged him along as we exited the school and walked to the school parking lot. I was still seething when we left the building, and Armin tried to shoot me a reassuring smile.

"I'm okay Eren, just forget about it," he said, wiping the remaining tears from his eyes.

"I'm going to beat his ass," I said, completely disregarding my best friend's words.

"Why Eren? Amin said he was okay, and for all you know it could have been an accident," Mikasa asked softly.

"You and I both know it wasn't a damn accident. He didn't even apologize!" I yelled.

Mikasa sighed deeply and crossed her arms around her chest, her stoic eyes met my angry eyes, and I sighed as well. I knew Mikasa was telling me to heed Armin's words and let it go, but it was difficult. When we were younger, the other children always picked on Armin and I had always defended the small blonde. Old habits die hard. I was going to continue my argument, but I stopped when I saw Armin's grandfather pull into the parking lot. He gave us a happy way, and lightly honked the horn.

Mikasa grasped Armin's arm and tugged him into his grandfather's direction, "We'll talk about this later Eren," she said and pressed a light kiss to my forehead.

I grunted in response and angrily rubbed at my skin, to wipe away Mikasa's patronizing kiss. Armin waved to me as he and Mikasa got into his grandfather's car and I waved back with an angry huff. I felt my shoulders slump when I felt a familiar large hand clamp down on my shoulder and a familiar baritone voice.

"How nice of Mr. Arlert to drive your sister home for me, don't you think Eren?" my father said and he smiled and waved the car off.

"Mhm," I said in a bored tone, as I turned around to face him. He was dressed to the nines, as he always was. He wore a casual button down and black slacks. His glasses were perched on his tired eyes, and his hair fell neatly around his face.

"Are you ready to go son?" asked my father as he tugged my backpack off and swung in over one of his shoulders.

"I guess."

"Oh come on Eren, don't be like that," my father said as he patted my back.

"Like what?" I asked angrily as a few other students snickered at me.

"Watch the tone young man," my father said in a warning tone.

"I'm sorry," I huffed as I crossed my arms, "but it's kind of hard not to be so sour when you're babying me in front of everybody."

"Babying you?" my father asked as he opened the car door for me and sat my bag on my lap.

As usual, my father was as oblivious as ever, I rolled my eyes and he climbed into the driver's seat, "Never mind."

My father shrugged his shoulders as he turned on the car and pulled out the parking lot. We drove to the therapist's office in silence, aside from my occasional angry sigh. My father regarded me with a somewhat sympathetic expression, even though it was his fault I had to attend the session in the first place. It felt a bit like betrayal, considering that I hadn't had an episode in a few weeks now. But perhaps everyone was right, and maybe it would be for my own good. After all, my father was a doctor; he should know what he was doing, right?

An angry scowl set on my face as my father pulled into the parking lot of the therapist's office. I hated therapy, and I hated people. My scowl darkened when my father pulled me out of the car and into the building. My head hung low as he grasped my hand and tugged me along, like I was still a toddler. He checked into the front desk with a wide smile.

"Hello Dr. Jaeger," the receptionist said cheerfully as he signed me in, "and hello to you too Eren."

I glared at the woman, angrily and she laughed, while my father apologized on my behalf. I growled when my father grasped my hand and led me to the session room. When we entered the room, I was snatched my hand away from my father and crossed my arms angrily. The room was fairly large, and hand a circle of chairs with a small stool in the middle, along with a white board, and a large oval shaped desk in the corner. The room had one window and light blue walls. At least it wasn't all white, like some sort of insane asylum.

I surveyed the room as my father chatted with the group therapist Dr. Pixis. I recognized a few people, such as Mike Zacharias, a guy junior at Titan High who liked to sniff people, Erwin Smith, who had some kind of OCD, Thomas Wagner who had a nervous disorder, Jean, the horse faced bastard that had major anger issues, and Annie. Annie and I met eyes and nodded, in our own unspoken greeting.

I turned my head to check the rest of the room, and the faces blurred together until a small, dark hair figure in the corner caught my eye. He was chatting with a tall boy with hazel eyes and dirty blonde hair. The shorter boy seemed awfully familiar. He wore a bored expression, with half lidded grey eyes. The realization snapped within me instantly and I clutched my fist. That was the little bastard who ran Armin down after school was over. He was lazily leaning on the wall, with his arms crossed. I wanted to go over to the little twerp and knock his short legs out from under him.

My father must have noticed me staring, and he put a heavy hand on my shoulder as I silently fumed, "What's wrong son?"

I gritted my teeth, and clenched my fist even tighter when the boy with the grey eyes looked up at me and smirked. He whispered something to his tall from and laughed. His laughter was a soft baritone, and it pierced the air around me. I felt my nails cut into my skin as I continued to angrily clench my fists and stare at the boy with the grey eyes. His tall friend leaned down and whispered something with a strained expression, and the boy's emotionless face lit up with the smallest hint of amusement. It felt like they were laughing at me, and I felt the anger inside my build up. I could feel my father's worried eyes fixed on me as I shrugged his hand off my back and stomped over the short boy. His lips curled into a small smirk.

His mouth opened slightly as I stood over the short bastard.

"Hey shitstain, need something?"


	2. A Flair for the Dramatic

**Thanks for my one reviewer, TheRedGhillie, you're so sweet! Once again, sorry I haven't been working on my other fics, I'll get to it, I promise!**

"_Hey shitstain, need something?"_

"What the fuck did you just say?" I growled as I hovered over the small boy with the stormy grey eyes. I could normally intimidate people by getting into their space and threatening them, but the boy barely seemed moved. He casually examined the nails on his right hand, seeming completely disinterested in me.

"Well?" I demanded when he continued to ignore me.

He looked up at me and dropped his hand with an annoyed sigh. We locked eyes as we stared each other down. The tall boy with the dirty blonde hair glanced at us wearily. He attempted to grab his friend's arm, but the boy shook him off. Tiny creases pulled between the boy's eyebrows as he glared at me. A cocky grin spread across his lips, as if he were silently mocking me. I felt like knocking the little bastard's head right off his shoulders. His thin lips parted, flashing bright white teeth at me before he spoke again.

"You deaf or something fucktruck? I asked if you needed something. You were staring at me like you were constipated, or you wanted to have my children. I'm flattered really, but we're not batting for the same team here brat. So I suggest you go on ahead and march your happy ass back to daddy instead of starting shit you can't finish," the boy said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

I felt my face flare at the boy's blunt implication, "Look asshole, you started this when you knocked Armin down today at school. You know, small, short blonde boy? You bumped passed him and knocked him down without even stopping to apologize. You are a rude little bastard who needs to learn some manners, and I'm here to teach them to you." I growled.

"Hmm, constipated it is then," the boy deadpanned.

I felt my nostrils flare when the boy continued to act with disinterest, "Look you little midget, why don't you just own up to what you did and apologize or I will knock that smirk off your face."

The boy let out a dry laugh and rolled up the sleeves of his white button down. He was about to raise his fist when his friend with the dirty blonde hair jumped between us and spread his arms out, protecting the smaller boy behind him. He looked up at me with nervous eyes and a sheepish smile. From behind him, the smaller boy grunted angrily and crossed his arms. His raven locks fell over his eyes, shielding the irritation that flashed in his grey eyes.

"He's sorry man," he said sending a nervous glance behind him, "I'm sure Levi didn't mean to knock down your friend Ermin—"

_"Armin_," I growled.

"Right, right Armin. Anyways, Levi is really sorry; he's just not good with his words. We don't want any trouble. I'm sure you don't want any either so why don't we just let bygones be bygones and forget about this eh?" he said sticking his hand out towards me, "I'm Farlan Church by the way."

As I watched Farlan protect the smaller guy, Levi, I got a strong sense of loyalty between the two that reminded me of my own friendship with Armin. Farlan had went out of his way to protect the small jackass, just as I would for Armin. I reluctantly let my anger subside and I shook Farlan's hand with an angry huff. I'd taken enough anger management classes to learn to quit while I was a head. I also wasn't too eager to start a fight on the first day of group therapy. Farlan smiled at me and excitedly pumped my hand. His hazel eyes softened as I gave in to his polite request, and I faintly wondered why such a nice guy would hang out with such a jackass. When we ended the handshake he nervously scratched the back of his head.

"I'm Eren, Eren Jaeger."

"Nice to meet you Eren," Farlan said with a smile, "so are we good now?"

I glanced behind Farlan at Levi, who hadn't said a word before Farlan intervened. He was back to looking at his nails with a bored look. I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess so."

"Great! We'll it was nice to meet you Eren," Farlan said, "thank you for being so understanding."

"Ahuh," I answered nonchalantly.

He waved at me as I turned to walk away. I gave a small wave back, and took one more lingering look at Levi, who glared at me as I walked away. I could still feel his eyes on my back as I walked back to my father. I didn't know much about Farlan and Levi, but I was eager to observe them. My father beamed at me when I reached him. He reached out and pulled me into a warm embrace, and playfully ruffled my hair. Although I hated when my father coddled me, I always accepted his hugs because I knew all too well how short life could be. I leaned against his shoulder and squeezed him tightly.

He smoothed out my collar and smiled again before speaking, "I saw what happened, and I'm really proud of you son. You're really working hard to control your anger, and you agreed to group therapy despite your initial refusal. I think you deserve something for all your hard efforts. Why don't you think about it and tell me what you want when you decide okay? A new video game, a puppy, whatever you want son. You deserve it."

"Thanks dad," I murmured into his shoulder.

"You're welcome Eren," my father said as he pulled away. He glanced down at his watch and frowned a bit, "Well I gotta go now kiddo, they need me back at the hospital in an hour. Call your mother when class is over and she'll come and pick you up. Bye son, I love you."

"I love you too Dad, bye."

After my father, I awkwardly wandered around the room and took a seat next to Annie in the circle as the class began. Her ice blue eyes watched me, and we nodded at each other in acknowledgment. Annie and I had a silent agreement, we would keep each other company in these kinds of situations, but we weren't obligated to talk to each other. We just sat in silence, and endured the bullshit life dealt us. Jean took a seat on the opposite side of the circle, far away from me. I found my eyes instinctively searching for Levi, and I watched as he quietly chatted with his Farlan, who sat on his right, across from me in the circle. Just as he was about to look up, I dropped my gaze, and focused on my hands, which where folded across my lap.

Our group therapist, Dr. Pixis, had taken his seat on the stool in the middle of the circle, and I was surprised to see the dinosaur hadn't busted his hip climbing up on that thing. The man looked like a hairless Santa Clause for fuck's sake. What if he had a heart attack in the middle of the seminar? Although I liked Dr. Pixis, due to him being one of my childhood therapists, I was not looking forward to the group therapy. I couldn't give less of a shit about these people's issues, and I knew they didn't give a damn about mine. If anything, this session would only be a large waste of my time, and my father's money. I slumped into my chair and crossed my arms across my chest. This next hour and a half was gonna suck.

When everyone was seated and settled in, Pixis gave us all a warm smile, "Welcome everybody! My name is Dr. Pixis, but you all may just call me Pixis. I know that most of you are reluctant at best about today, being our first session and all, but I would like you all to go ahead and take a few deep breaths and relax. There's no pressure here. We are all here for different reasons and we will support each other. Participation is required, so don't think I will allow you to sit around like a bump on a log," Pixis said as he eyes passed over me, "Since today is our first session it's only natural that we should start off with introductions. I want you all to say your name and a little something about yourselves. Tell us your age, your favorite color, your hobbies or anything you like."

"I'll start off. My name is Pixis and I'm probably old enough to be most of your grandfathers!" he chuckled, "I enjoy reading and playing chess, and when I was younger I liked to box. Nowadays the misses has helped me take up crocheting. Now why don't we start with…you there?" Pixis said pointing to Annie.

Annie's expressionless face didn't change as she stood up and gave her introduction, "My name is Annie Leonhart. I live with my father and I play soccer at Titan High."

"Very good Annie! It's nice to meet you," Pixis praised, "Next?"

Pixis pointed at me and I sighed deeply. I never wanted to take this damn class and I didn't want to participate. I sought to make my answer as quick and simple as possible, "My name is Eren Jaeger," I said quickly and sat down.

"Eren, why don't you stand back up and tell us a little about yourself?" Pixis prodded, despite my stubborn nature.

I reluctantly stood up and frowned, "I'm 15," I added and sat down once more. Pixis gave me a lingering stare, but decided not to press me any further. He motioned for the next person to continue, who was seated two seats down from me.

"Hello everybody, my name is Erwin Smith. I'm a junior at Titan High School. I am captain of the debate team, quarter back of the football team, and captain of the wrestling team. I enjoy making new friends and meeting new people," he said with a warm smile. From my previous observations, I could tell the boy was a blonde haired, blued eyed, Jesus. He excelled at everything he did and came from a well-respected family. He was quite popular at school and always had a flock of girls chasing after him. His kindness seemed genuine enough, but the guy was a perfectionist. Last semester he had to leave school for a few weeks due to a nervous breakdown.

On his right sat his best friend Mike Zacharias, a junior and also a football player and wrestler. He was quiet and reserved, while Erwin was warm and chatty. The only quirk he possessed was his tendency to smell people, which was quiet disturbing. "My name is Mike, and I'm 17. I play football and I like to wrestle," he said simply.

Up next was Auruo Bossard, an angry sophomore who bragged about his girlfriend Petra, and bit his tongue at the end of his introduction. Thomas Wagner, a nervous blonde followed, then that horse faced bastard Jean, a flirtatious girl named Hitch, and an awkward boy named Moblit. Last in the group were Farlan and Levi. I shifted in my chair with anticipation as I waited for their introductions.

"Uh, hi everyone. My name is Farlan Church, I'm not actually in this class, I'm just here for Levi," Farlan said.

Farlan nudged Levi with his elbow when he was done speaking, but Levi did not stand. He gave a bored yawn and tapped his foot with an annoyed expression, "I'm Levi," he said simply.

Pixis scratched his head, with a curious look on his face, "Do you have anything else to add?"

"No," Levi replied flatly.

"Very well then…now class, we are all here to learn about how to deal with our problems. All problems are different, and will require specific methods of coping. I am here to aid you, and your peers are here for you as well. You may confide in them or me, but I would advise that we keep what's said in the group, within the group. You may speak to me with assured patience confidentiality, but the same might not be said with your peers. I would ask that you all keep an open mind and a soft heart, because I will not tolerate any bullying or harassment between group members. Understood?" Pixis asked.

The group grumbled a simple 'yes' and Pixis launched into his lesson. He constructed an elaborate metaphor, likening our troubles to giants. These giants were huge, and cruel, and ate away at us. They seemed invincible and would take a certain way of war to defeat them. If we wanted to succeed in life we needed to slay the giants in order for us to regain our humanity. We were like an army, with our family and friends, and even Pixis standing by our side to help slay these horrid giants, but it would be up to us to vanquish them once for and for all. We would lose many along the way, breaking off unhealthy relationships in favor of more symbiotic ones. I found myself visualizing Pixis's words, and enjoying the lesson for the most part.

In all fairness, the lesson wasn't that bad, but I found my mind wondering off as Pixis lectured. What was my father really trying to accomplish by sending me to group therapy? Did he really think my problems could be solved by listening to the preaching of a bald headed old man? I suppose he could argue the sessions with my stress coach had prevented me from blacking out and having another episode, but how long would it last? My attacks were inevitable and I had learned to accept my faults, rather than ignore them. It was a part of who I am, and there was nothing I could possibly do to change it. The thought was rather depressing at times, but my mother always told me that if I could learn to accept things for what they are, I could understand them.

My thoughts continued to run rampant until Pixis clapped his hands together loudly and announced the end of class. As I stood up to leave, I noticed a few people had fallen asleep during the session, and were wiping fresh drool from their mouths. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Annie and I quietly left the session room and signed out at the front desk. She said nothing, and made no attempt to say goodbye expect nodding her head at me, to which I nodded back. I walked outside the building and sat under a tree in the front lawn. I slipped my cracked IPhone out of my pocket and dialed my mother's number.

"Hello?" came my mother's cheerful voice.

"Hey Mom, it's me."

"Hi honey, how was your lesson?"

"Good Mom, Dad told me to call you when it was over so you could pick me up."

"Alright baby, I'll be right there, sit tight okay?"

"Alright Mom."

"Are you hungry, should I bring you a snack?"

"No Mom, I'm alright."

"Don't talk to strangers Eren."

"Mom," I groaned, "Alright already! I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Okay baby, I love you."

"I love you too Mom."

_Click._ I hit the end call button and slipped my phone back into the pocket of my jeans, and groaned out loud. Why the hell did my parents have to baby me all the time? They practically gave Mikasa free reign while they kept me on a tight leash. I pulled my knees into my chest and buried my head between my legs again and groaned again. I was so distracted by my moping I didn't realize someone had walked up behind me.

"Still constipated fuckface? You should do something about that. Take some medicine, hell eat some Activia or something, you look pathetic," came a sarcastic voice from behind me.

I whipped my head around to find Levi standing behind me, sporting an amused grin on his face. His stormy grey eyes flickered dangerously as he watched me. He had one had cocked on slim hips while the other dangled by his side limply. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing ivory white skin. His raven locks fell over his forehead as he cocked his head to the side, scrutinizing me.

I opened and closed my mouth several times, unable to find a witty response to his crude words.

"Seriously? I've always made girls' jaws drop, but I guess now I can add awkward teenage gay boys to the list too. What? Am I that hot or are you that heartbroken over what mommy said to you over the phone?" he asked in a condescending tone.

"What's your problem jackass? I thought your buddy said we were all cool?" I asked as I rose to my feet and dusted myself off. What the hell was his deal? I could feel my anger rising, threatening to overtake me as I watched the angry boy in front of me.

"My problem? No, I'm fine brat. You're the one with the problem. You came about to me all high and mighty and now you have nothing to say? Just because Farlan said you and him were cool didn't mean that it applied to me. So you gonna finish what you started or not?"

"Sure why not? Just remember your friend isn't here to help you when I make you swallow your tongue," I threatened, rolling up the sleeves of my plaid shirt. I could feel my face flush red with anger and I curled my hands into fists, and took my normal fighting stance. I should have felt it coming along, but I bit the feeling back. My mind was focused on knocking the little bastard off his high horse.

Levi rolled his sleeves and chuckled darkly, "I hope your mommy brought tissues brat."

I gritted my teeth and lunged at Levi, blinding throwing a jab to his ribs. He responded quickly and blocked my fist with his forearm, before moving his arm back to block his face. I grunted angrily as I saw his smirk from behind his fist. I could feel myself slipping away from consciousness, as my anger rose and I screamed inwardly. _'Not now, not now!' _I begged_ 'Please don't let me have an episode right now!' _My vision began to blur as I felt my episode clawing away at me. Levi took advantage of my weakness and quickly lifted right leg and kicked me in the gut before I could fight it. _'Damn! The little shit is fast!' _I yelled internally as I let out a sharp intake of air. _'I can't possibly win if I have an attack right now!'_

"Had enough yet princess?" Levi mocked.

"Fuck you," I breathed surprising him with a blind jab to his shoulder.

As my fist made contact with his skin, I could feel the rippling muscles hidden under Levi's white button up. _I need to hurry! I need to end this before I black out!_ I screamed as he delivered swift punch to my cheek. The force of his punch alone knocked me back on my ass and further disoriented me. It would doubted leave a nasty bruise on my cheek tomorrow. I tried to scramble to my feet but Levi climbed on top of me, nearly straddling me as he landed a few hammer punches to my side. I curled my arms around my face and tried to steady my erratic breathing as the familiar pain clawed at my chest. _I needed to fight it! _I tried to focus on my breathing, and began counting down from 10 in my head, in an attempt to fight off my attack.

Ten

I shot my hands forward and reached for the little bastard's neck. Levi was heavy for someone so small, and he slapped my hand away as I struggled to latch my hands around his throat. I managed to scratch his cheek, and I drew a single drop of blood from the small scratch. His small hand reached forward and slapped my bruised cheek. A car honked at us as it rolled passed us, and Levi turned around for a moment.

Nine

I used his distraction as my advantage. Luckily, I was tall and lankly, and my angry hands managed to slam into his chest and knock him off of me. He landed backwards on his ass, making a soft thud against the grass as his body made contact with the ground. He grunted angrily and cursed at me, and a small smirk of my own left my lips.

Eight

He kicked me and I tried to back away, and tears blurred my eyes as my vision began to fade. I forced my eyes open and blinked the tears away just in time to see Levi jump to his feet and kick my side.

Seven

I quickly rolled out of the way, smacking the tree I was peacefully sitting under before Levi approached me. I reached out to the tree and used it to steady myself as I stood. My breaths were no longer as spastic and frantic. I took a deep breath and looked up to see Levi walking menacingly towards me, his stormy grey eyes darkened with malice. He reached out and roughly grasped my chin, forcing me to stare at him. We were on eye level now that I was doubled over, and I could see my bruise form reflected in Levi's pupils. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as a soft _ding_ broke our heated silence.

Six

He jabbed me in the gut and leaned into me as I groaned. My head hit the tree as he pressed against me. He punched me several more times before dropping his face to mine. I gasped as I felt the heat radiating off the smaller boy's body. He leaned into my ear and his hot breath tickled my ear as he spoke. His lips brushed against my ear, coating it with a thin layer of saliva. I fought back a shudder as I heard Levi's sarcastic baritone tickle my ear.

Five

"Another time princess, I gotta go. Farlan just texted me," he whispered as he delivered one final punch to my side. His heat burned against my body, making my adrenaline rush. The heat was warm, and comforting, much like the hugs I received from my parents. I squeezed my eyes shut as my vision began to blur again.

"F-fuck you," I stammered, still struggling to fight back my impending attack.

He chuckled lightly, tickling my ear once more, "Only in your wildest dreams," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the shell of my ear.

My cheeks flared and I bit my lip, and my mind was racing, trying to fight back Levi's blunt implication. He released me and the heat was gone. I groaned softly at the loss of the warmth and walked as Levi turned to walk away. He gave me a patronizing wave, shooting me one last glimpse of his triumphant smirk before I watched his form grow smaller, before climbing into a black car and disappearing completely.

Four

The world was spinning, and blackening, leaving me in its dizzy wake. I felt the sudden urge to lean forward and retch, but my body refused to cooperate.

Three

I would fight him again, and I would make the bastard pay. I was weakened due to my attack, but I would get him for sure next time.

Two

I would find him, and knock the bright white teeth out of his mouth.

One

Levi would _pay_.

The world collapsed beneath me and I slumped to my knees, finally succumbing to my attack and blacking out completely. I slipped into a deep slumber, as I lost myself. The last thing I remembered was my mother's frantic voice calling out to me, before enveloping in warmth once again.


	3. Just Me and Myself

**Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows. You guys are so sweet! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I'm back on it. I'll start working on my other fics…eventually; I'm a horrible procrastinator but I'm trying to get over it. **

I was free. For the first time in a long time I had broken free of the constraints they had put me in. Eren was in trouble, and as always, it was up to me to protect the bastard. I was everything Eren wasn't. I was strong, while he was weak. I was smooth, while he was awkward. I was smart and calculating while he was brash and unpredictable. But most of all, he was human, while I was anything but. They tried to separate us, by drugging him up on happy pills and injecting him with serums. They tried to drown me out and erase me, but settled on locking me away when all their methods failed. His family, and those damn doctors; they thought they knew what was best for Eren, but they didn't. Eren didn't need them and he still doesn't need them. He doesn't need anyone but me, because in the end, it would always be just _me and him_.

Eren and I. We were different yet one in the same. I was generally silent, hidden in Eren's subconscious until he needed me. I was the monster within him, fighting for him when he was too weak to do so himself. '_Fight_,' I would whisper to him, '_If you win you live. If you lose you die. If you don't fight, you can't win!_' I'd watch Eren curl up and cry one too many times before he allowed me to break free and protect him. I was always there, beating up the boy who stole Eren's crayons in kindergarten, knocking down the bullies who pushed him down at the playground, and lashing out at his parents when they coddled him. But what did I have to show for it? The bastard would black out when I took over and have no recollection of my good deeds when he finally came to. Hell, he didn't even remember me murdering those men who tried to kill him and Mikasa! The ungrateful little shit…

That's when it happened. They locked me away by keeping Eren sedated on a steady flow of pills. It dulled his senses and made me numb. I was forced to crawl into the dark recesses of his mind to wait for another chance to resurface. And resurface I did, like a fucking cockroach even after you think you've killed it off. Eren was having another miserable day in his mundane little life…until that raven haired dwarf humiliated Eren by taunting him and beat his ass. I felt a crack in his psyche, and it rippled through his mind. I managed to slip through, despite the pills his father prescribed from him. Levi lit a fire in Eren's soul, and I was determined to make sure it burned the little bastard.

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat. I was back at home in my bed, surrounded my pillows and blankets. The window directly across from my bed was cracked open and a ray of sunshine peaked through the blinds. I was tucked into bed and someone had even tucked my old stuffed bear under my arm. _What the hell happened? _The last thing I remembered was blacking out after fighting Levi…Levi. Angry thoughts of the short, foul tempered boy filled my mind and I gripped my sheets in anger. I struggled to sit up but I fell back down in a heap. My body ached and burned, the result of the powerful ass whooping Levi gave me. Angry tears threatened to spill from my eyes and I snuggled my face into the stuffed bear for comfort_. How did I get here? Had my mother discovered my battered form and took me home?_

There was no doubt that by now both of my parents were aware of my condition. I could never do anything without word somehow reaching my parents. What would they do? Lecture me? Give me more drugs or more therapy? I silently contemplated the possibilities until I heard my door creak open. I raised my head gently to peer at my door. My mother walked in with a tray full of food and a worried look on her face. Mikasa came in behind her with a cup full of orange juice. Both of them looked restless, with heavy bags under their eyes. They had no doubt spent their time worrying and fussing over me in my unconscious state. My mother took a seat near me with the tray in her lap, while Mikasa stood at the food of my bed. I clutched my bear in annoyance as I heard my mother speak.

"Eren, you got into another fight, didn't you? I specifically told you to play nice with the other kids and try to make new friends. What on earth happened?" my mother asked, her normally soft, motherly tone turning hard and authoritative.

"I didn't even start it! That asshole did!" I protested.

"_Eren, language_! I don't care who started what. You know better that to start fights. That isn't how your father and I raised you. Why didn't you use the methods Dr. Rico taught you in your anger management class? Now look at you, my poor baby is hurt," my mother chastised, but her eyes softened.

"I don't know Mom, I'm sorry," I sighed. I didn't have the heart to fight my mother, at least not today especially not when she was doting on me.

My mother lifted a hand to caress my cheek and she pressed a kiss to my forehead, "I just don't want my baby getting hurt. Who did this to you? Was it Jean again? Should I call his parents? Do I need to pull you from your group therapy?"

"No Mom," I groaned before she could slip into full blown mother bear mode, "It's okay. Please don't call anyone's parents, it will only make things worse, okay? Just tell me what time it is."

"It's 7 baby, I just got you home thirty minutes ago. I brought dinner to you since you're in no condition to get up yourself. Here, open up," my mother said as she lifted a spoonful of soup to my lips.

Normally I would protest, but I was exhausted. I silently let my mother spoon feed me, much to her pleasure. She fed me a hearty meal, consisting of tomato soup, orange juice, a grilled cheese sandwich and sliced apples. When I asked her about dessert she scolded me stating that my right to dessert had been revoked for a week as well as my computer and gaming rights. I grunted angrily, but accepted the terms of my punishment. My parents had little to work on, so they had to come up with creative methods of punishment. They couldn't ground me, because I hardly left the house. They couldn't take away my cellphone because I didn't text anyone other than Armin and Mikasa, aside from the occasional group chat. My parents had settled on taking away my sketchbooks, the TV and computer from me, as well as forcing me to take piano lessons when they needed to curb my bad behavior.

After my mother fed me, she wiped my mouth and encouraged me to do my homework, take a shower, and go to bed. I grumbled in response and snuggled deeper into my blankets as my mother left my room. Mikasa pulled my computer chair next to my bed and watched me, her emotionless eyes never wavering. Her eyes softened as they settled on my cheek. It was probably bruised. She fiddled with her scarf and pulled her my notebook out of my desk.

"We should do our homework Eren," she said softly.

"You haven't finished yours already?" I asked her with a skeptical look.

"No, I have…"

"Then let me copy it," I said, "I'm tired and I just want to shower and go to bed."

Her eyes narrowed and she tugged her scarf again, "You need to do it on your own Eren."

I let out an angry huff, "Come on Mika," I said, hoping her childhood nickname would butter her up, "I'm tired, like really tired. I got my ass beat already, I don't want to get it beat again by a bunch of mindless homework."

She hesitated for a moment but reluctantly nodded and went to her room to fetch the assignments. That was the thing about Mikasa. She stood by me no matter what. When she returned, she handed me the assignments and we sat quietly as I copied Mikasa's neat handwriting. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye occasionally, noting the way she still hadn't learned to relax, even in my company. She sat with her back up straight, and hands folded neatly in her lap. Her breathing was slow and deliberate, and I could easily time the rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes were distant and spaced out, and she blinked once every seven and a half seconds or so. It was rather stiff and robotic. She had a bizarre need to control things I'd noticed over the years, but I never pointed it out to her. I shrugged. Being overly controlling was better than being a perpetually angry nutcase I suppose.

Despite this odd quirk, I always felt at ease with Mikasa. She steady and fairly predictable, and over the years she'd become my rock. I leaned on her whenever necessary and she never pushed me away. She was my silent shadow. Mikasa always had my side, unless she would side with my parents. She was a perfect balance for my erratic personality, and though I didn't say it enough, I loved her for it. And I especially loved how easily she bent to my whim.

When I finished copying her homework I handed the assignments back to her. She wordlessly slipped my things back into my backpack and placed her homework in her lap. She looked up at me expectantly and I rolled my eyes.

"What?" I demanded.

"What happened?" she asked so quietly it could be a whisper.

"What does it matter? It's over now."

"Eren…it's not over. I know you too well; I know how you hold grudges."

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at her, "Your point?"

"Just tell me what happened, or at least tell me who it was. I can help you Eren. You know you can count on me," Mikasa said.

"Ugh, Mikasa I don't need the third degree. I'm already gonna get it from Mom and Dad, I don't need it from you too. I got into a fight with some jackass from group therapy. I landed a few hits but he kicked my ass. What else do you want?" I growled.

Her pale pink lips moved, but I didn't catch her response, "Mikasa fucking speak up. I can't hear you if you're whispering."

"I said, 'Nothing, I'm sorry,'" she said, raising her voice a bit.

"Okay, whatever," I grunted as I gingerly swung my legs over my bed to get up. I stumbled slightly, and Mikasa rushed to my side.

"Do you need help?" she asked as she attempted to support my weight.

"No," I said, shoving her off me, "I don't need your help."

A rare glint of sadness sparked in her eyes as she dropped her hands, "Okay, make sure you take a shower and get to bed early."

"Alright," I nodded, "Goodnight."

She stepped forward and pressed a light kiss on my nose, "Goodnight Eren."

Mikasa slipped out of my room before I could protest and I wiped her kiss off as soon as she was gone. We weren't little kids anymore. I didn't need her giving me goodnight kisses like I was her kid brother. I grabbed my towel and headed down the hall to the bathroom. It took a bit of effort since my ribs were sore, but I managed to make into the bathroom without stumbling. I quickly stripped down to assess the damage my fight with Levi had caused. My cheek was purple and bruised, and so were my ribs. My cheeks burned with the shame of losing the fight and I splashed cold water on my face and stepped into the shower. The flow of water was nice and warm, and it relaxed my aching muscles. As the warm water kissed my skin I let my mind wander.

It was clear to me that Levi would pose a new problem in my already problematic life. He carelessly knocked down my best friend and made him cry, and then he insulted me and beat me up. A memory of Levi's fist crashing against my cheek flashed in my mind and I gently ran my fingers over the swollen flesh. Levi was rude and vulgar, and his insults creative insults echoed in my ears. I bit my lip as I recalled how Levi had blatantly questioned my sexuality. I'd never really thought about it before, but the more I contemplated it, the more flustered I became. I remembered the way Levi pressed against me, spreading his warmth oh me. I remembered his hot breath tickling my ear, and the way he kissed my ear. It was my first kiss, and it excited me. I mean sure my parents and Mikasa kissed me, but they didn't count. No, the way Levi's lips pressed against my ear was much more…intimate. An unfamiliar feeling washed over me and I felt the blood rush to my crotch.

I shuddered as I imagined Levi pinning me against the tree again. I struggled to remember every detail of his face as I grabbed the bar of soap and washed my skin. I imagined his steel grey eyes regarding me with contempt, and his thin lips pulled into a scowl. He had a strong jaw, which hilariously contrasted his small stature. I found myself oddly attracted to Levi, even though I didn't find him exactly physically appealing. It was rare that I would lose a fight, and even rarer still that anyone could beat my insults. I was drawn to the dangerous glint in my eyes and I contemplated both smacking the smug look off his face and feeling his cool lips on me again. Levi had specifically stated his disinterest in me, so I tried to focus my imagination on throttling him in a vain attempt to counter my pubescent angst. I hastily exited the shower, dried off and threw on my pajamas. I stumbled back to my bedroom and snuggled against my covers and fell asleep.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning my muscles were sore and a bit stiff. I brushed my teeth and dressed myself in a black v neck, dark jeans, and a pair of converse. I brushed my teeth and sighed when I noticed the bruise darkened. There was now a dark purple bruise sitting atop my left cheekbone. I really should've iced the thing, but whatever. I headed down to the kitchen and ate the breakfast my mom prepared while my father watched me with a tired look in his eye. As Mikasa and I headed to the door, he stopped me with a hand to my shoulder.

"Eren," he said in a stern voice, "I won't be back until dinnertime tonight but we need to have a talk. Also, there's no group therapy today, but there will be tomorrow and I expect you to go without any complaints, okay?"

"Yes Dad," I grumbled.

"Good boy," he said as he pulled Mikasa and I into a tight hug, "I love you guys, have a good day at school."

"Bye babies!" my mother cheerfully called.

"Yeah, yeah, bye!" I said shutting the door behind Mikasa.

Mikasa and I met up with Armin, as usual and we chatted a bit as we walked to school. Armin scolded me for fighting again, and I carelessly shrugged my shoulders. I had other things on my mind. We split ways after gathering a few books of out our lockers and Mikasa and I settled into our usual sits in Mr. Shadis's English class. I tossed my books atop my desk and slouched over. The class was as loud and boisterous as ever, and I closed my eyes to get a moment of peace.

"Wow! Would ya look at that shiner! What happened to you Eren? You look like hell!" a loud feminine voice laughed into my ear.

I cracked an eye open to see the loud mouthed red head, what the hell was her name again? Oh yeah_, Isabel Mongolia_, settling into the empty seat next to me. She was wearing a loose fitting pink sweater with a cat on it, leggings and high top sneakers. Her red hair was still tied into two pig tails, and I couldn't help but note how strange the small girl was. She shot Mikasa a toothy grin and Mikasa gave her a smile wave.

"Doesn't matter, and could you tone it down?" I grumbled as the bell rang.

She shrugged and I turned my attention to the front of the class as Mr. Shadis began the lecture. I slipped into my own world and started drawing in my notebook. My hand shifted across the page and unconsciously found myself drawing a familiar pair of stormy grey eyes. I tried my best to draw the grey orbs from my mental picture of Levi. I was carefully shaded the eyes over to capture Levi's bored and disinterested look and I halfheartedly wondered what those eyes would look like filled of passion and life. Heat rushed to my face and I slouched over to cover the drawing. Although I was pretty sure no one was watching me, I didn't want anyone to see what I was drawing. My left hand gently sat on the paper while my right hand danced across the page. I applied a few light and feathery strokes to add the angry crease between his eyebrows. What was his deal anyways? Did he also have anger issues? Perhaps a nervous tick? I felt myself grow oddly giddy at the prospect of observing the smaller boy. I bit my lip and trailed a finger over the paper. Why the hell was I so interested in him anyways? The guy kicked my ass.

I started to his strong jawline when I felt a poke to my shoulder. I quickly slammed my book shut and turned my head around to face Isabel's curious eyes.

"Whatcha drawing?" she whispered.

_"Nothing,"_ I growled.

I was too absorbed in shooting daggers at the small girl that I didn't felt Mr. Shadis stomp over to our desks, "Do you two have something to say?" he demanded as he slammed a textbook down on my desk. His angry eyes burned and I swore I saw steam coming out of his ears.

"No sir," Isabel and I said at the same time.

"Alright then maggots," he said, "As I was saying, I want you to use the remainder of this time to work in your groups on the project I assigned. Like I said before I expect to be wowed and if you can't wow me I will fail you. And when I fail you, you will fail this class and if you fail this class you will fail at life maggots, so failure is not an option! Now get to it."

The class collectively grumbled am answer and I reluctantly moved our desks together. Isabel was quick to jump into the project. She slid a copy of The Catcher in the Rye onto the desk. Mikasa and I stared at her with blank expressions as she babbled on, "I think we should do our project on this book. I just love it and the main character reminds me of my big brother. So you guys still wanna do a power point right? Have you started yet?"

"No," Mikasa answered to Isabel's disappointment, "Not yet."

"Well I won't be able to do it, my mom took away my laptop," I said.

"Really? That sucks. How are we going to get our project done than?" Isabel said scratching her chin, "Ooohh, I know! Why don't you guys come over to my house today? We can work on it on there and we can all hang out."

Mikasa and I exchanged looks. She looked indifferent while I looked disinterested, "No," I said without a second thought.

Isabel's hopeful expression dropped and she looked a bit crestfallen, "But why not? I figured we could all hang out, get some work done and maybe have dinner together. This is only my second day here and I don't really have many friends. I was hoping that we could spend some time together and maybe we could all be friends. I only have Farlan and Levi…it would be nice to have some other friends."

As she spoke, I tuned out her voice until I heard his name. My ear twitched a bit_. Farlan and… Levi?_ I immediately lifted my head and looked at the small girl. I did my best to hide my obvious interest.

"Levi?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, he's my big brother. Dark hair, kinda short, kind of grumpy? Do you know him?" she asked excitedly.

I shrugged my shoulders while Mikasa regarded me with a suspicious look, "Yeah, I might have seen him before."

"That's great, I'm sure big brother could use some more friends too. It's too bad you guys can't come over," she said with a pout.

I looked at Isabel and then Mikasa. This was a golden opportunity to strike back at the guy who kicked my ass. I may not like Isabel but perhaps I could use her to get closer to Levi. The guy throttled me, and then completely humiliated me. And just like Mikasa said, I was definitely one to hold grudges. A familiar unbridled anger bit at me in the back of my mind. No, I couldn't let this ample opportunity go to waste.

"You know what Isabel? On second thought, we will come over today after all. We need to work on this project and it might actually be fun," I said.

Her green eyes light up, "Really? Awesome! Here's my phone number, I'll text you guys at the end of the day. We can all fit into Farlan's car now that big brother fixed his motor cycle. I'm so excited!"

"Me too," I said with a wicked grin.

Mikasa tugged on my shoulder, "But Eren Dad says he needs to talk to you tonight, and we haven't even asked Mom yet," she whispered as Isabel entered our numbers into her phone.

"Don't worry about it," I whispered back, "I'll ask my mom now."

I quickly pulled out my phone and sent my mother a text, asking if I could go over to a friend's house today with Mikasa.

From Mom:

_A friend's house? Honey that is so exciting! :-) But you are supposed to be on punishment._

To Mom:

_I know but we need to work on a project. Plz Mom? _

From Mom:

_Well alright, I'll let your Father know, but come home early he still needs to talk to you._

To Mom:

_Okay, thnx. Luv you._

From Mom:

_I love you too baby! :* :-) _

I threw my phone back to my bag and looked up at Isabel and Mikasa, "My Mom said we can come over, but we can't stay out too late. Is that okay?"

"That's fine," Isabel said with a smile.

"Then it's settled," I said.

As the day went on, I did little to hide my shit eating grin much to Mikasa's chagrin. She and Armin questioned my newfound happiness several times but I evaded their questions. The truth was I eager to see Levi again, and I didn't really know why. And there was no way in hell I would admit that out loud, much less to my sister and my best friend. I was running different scenarios through my head as I tried to find the most plausible one. In the end I was banking one getting into another fight, but I wasn't worried. Although I didn't want to admit it, I knew that if we got into another fight again today, things would be different. I was an expert at hand to hand combat, but I knew I lacked the tact. However, with Mikasa by my side, there was no way I could lose. My sister packed a punch when she was angry, and once she and I stuffed three guys into the same trash can for picking on Armin. I hated to rely on her, but at least with Mikasa with me I could be spared from another brutal beat down.

But what would I say when I confronted Levi? Isabel was oblivious to the fact that her beloved brother and I had fought, so I concluded she wasn't aware of my animosity toward him. Would be hit me again when he saw me? Insult me? I wasn't aware if he even liked me or not. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if he and I had never fought. '_Maybe we could've been friends_,' I wondered as I felt my heart beat speed up. I could hardly sit still during my classes, and I kept glancing at the clock. I drummed my fingers on my desk and bounced my knee up and down all day. Mikasa asked me several times if I was okay, and I was so lost in thought I didn't even snap at her like I normally would.

I was so wound up that I couldn't even finish my lunch. My stomach was knotted and I managed to drink the milk my mom packed me and the giant cookie. I ended up letting Sasha, Ymir, and Reiner fight over the rest of my lunch. By the end of the say I had plotted and ran every possible scenario that my encounter with Levi could lead to. I was so distracted that I got pegged in the head by Jean when we were playing basketball in gym class. Everyone was very surprised when I didn't even bat an eyelash. I was so eager to leave that I took a half assed shower and rushed Mikasa through hers. Mikasa's hair was still dripping when wet after I sent Sasha to hurry her up. True to her word, Isabel texted me and we met up in the school parking lot.

"I already let Farlan know you guys were coming over so he should be waiting for us. This is so exciting!" she squealed as we weaved through the cars.

We followed Isabel until she stopped at a black Sedan. Farlan was casually leaning against the car door and his eyes widened a bit when he saw me. He kicked off the car and walked over to us. He ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair and smiled at us, but I could tell his eyes were troubled when they settled on the purple bruise on my cheek.

"Eren, it's good to see you again," he said as we shook hands.

"You too Farlan," I said.

Isabel and Mikasa stared at us with curious expressions.

"You guys know each other?" Isabel asked as she tossed her back pack into the trunk of the car.

"Yeah, we met yesterday. So I already know Eren, and you are…?" Farlan asked as he extended toward Mikasa. She gave his hand a shake but regarded him with her normal expressionless face.

"Mikasa."

"Are you Eren's girlfriend?" Farlan asked.

Mikasa tugged on her scarf and looked over at me, "No, he's my brother."

"Ah, okay. Well in any case it's nice to meet you," he said.

He gave us a smile and we all climbed into his car. Isabel sat shotgun while Mikasa and I sat in the back. The drive was rather quiet, with a few questions and jokes here and there. Every now and then I could see Farlan eyeing me warily in the rear view mirror while he thought I wasn't looking. We eventually pulled up to a rather large house in a nice neighborhood. The house had a beautiful garden out front with many bright flowers. There was a sleek Porsche parked out front, as well as a motorcycle. Isabel excitedly ran out of the car and dragged Mikasa and I inside. The inside of the house was beautiful. There was a large living room with elegant furniture and a big fireplace. The kitchen was equally as large and elegant. And on top of everything the house was spotless. It was so clean I could probably see my reflection on the hardwood. Levi was nowhere in sight.

Isabel kicked off her shoes and placed them on the shoe rack next to the front door. Mikasa and I looked at each other and mimicked her. We sat down on the circular sectional couch and pulled out our school notes. Isabel instructed us to wait for her while she ran upstairs to fetch her laptop. Once she was gone, Farlan casually sat down next to us.

"So Eren, how are you?" Farlan asked politely, "Can I get you guys anything? Water, soda, juice?"

"I'm doing well, and no thanks, I think we're fine," I answered for the both of us.

"Alright then. So uh, I don't know if Isabel has told you, but we live with Levi too," Farlan said casually.

I could feel Mikasa's eyes trained onto me as I answered, "Oh yeah, she told us."

An awkward aura filled the air, so I felt it was safe to assume Farlan was aware of the fight Levi and I got into. He warily eyed my cheek and I unconsciously crossed my arms and fidgeted in the seat. I chewed my lip and Farlan coughed. Eventually Mikasa cleared her throat, "Actually, could I have some water please?"

"Right, sure," Farlan said quickly jumping up and shuffling into the kitchen.

As soon as Farlan was out of sight, Mikasa tugged on my sleeve, "What's going on Eren?" she whispered.

"Nothing," I lied through my gritted teeth.

She tugged on her scarf and sighed, "You don't have to lie to me Eren."

"How do you know I'm lying?" I asked.

"Your ears turn red when you lie."

I quickly covered my ears and scowled at her, "Why do you always have to pry?"

"Because I care about you Eren," she whispered, pulling her scarf over her face, " I just want you to be safe. So please tell me, who is Levi? And how do you know Farlan?"

"I met them in group therapy yesterday," I whispered back.

"Who is Levi? Was he the one who hurt you?" Mikasa asked as her bland tone suddenly hardened.

Before I could answer Isabel ran down the stairs excitedly with a pink laptop. Mikasa shot me a look, clearly telling me, _'we're not done'_. I quickly looked away and pretended to be very interested in what Isabel was doing. She quietly thanked Farlan for the water when he handed it to her. Farlan settled on the couch across from us and began working on his own homework. We ended up discussing the book a bit, since I'd never read it while Isabel and Mikasa had. We began working on the project together and we silently agreed to let Isabel took control. Mikasa planned the outline, I looked up quotes, and Isabel started the power point. It was going pretty well, and I felt disappointed that Levi hadn't made an appearance. I'd started to develop a throbbing headache and I took a few pills my father prescribed me for migraines. I closed my eyes and rubbed my head when Mikasa wasn't looking.

The only reason I'd agreed to coming over was so that I could see Levi and he wasn't even there! Mikasa sensed my annoyance and sent me a questioning look. I shrugged my shoulder and continued flipping through Isabel's book. Had Isabel told Levi I would be coming over? Was he avoiding me? Did he even know I was in his home? My mind was a whirlwind of emotions. After about an hour of working Mikasa cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Perhaps we should be going soon Eren," she softly suggested.

"Yeah, sure," I said packing up my things.

"Wait! No! You guys can't go yet, you haven't even eaten anything!" Isabel protested as he wrenched my backpack out of my hands.

"It's okay, we'll eat at home, right Eren?" Mikasa asked, pulling her bag away before Isabel could snatch it.

_Grgrrrhhh_, my stomach sounded before I could answer. My eyes widened and I clutched my stomach. The last time I'd eaten was breakfast this morning, and I was feeling pretty hungry. Isabel smiled triumphantly and raced into the kitchen. She opened the large double door fridge and cabinets. She threw a bunch of items on the counter and dug out several bowls and plates. Farlan sat up and smiled sheepishly at us, as if silently apologizing for Isabel's tenacious spirit. The clanking of pots and pans echoed through the house as Isabel dug up all the ingredients she needed. She even donned a pink apron that read, "_Kiss the Chef!"_

"Is pasta okay with you guys?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," I answered as I slouched into the couch.

"Would you like any help?" Mikasa asked politely.

"Sure," Isabel replied happily.

Mikasa walked into the kitchen and I followed her to avoid an awkward conversation with Farlan. Isabel and Mikasa began chopping vegetables while Farlan and I watched from the sideline. After a while Isabel frowned and set her hands on her hips.

"Farlan! We're almost out of pasta!" she yelled.

"Okay, do you want me to go pick up some more?" he asked.

"No way! You always get the nasty stuff, besides I want to pick up a few more things anyways. Can we go to the really quick?"

"Sure Izzy, I don't see why not," Farlan replied as he grabbed a coat out of the closet.

"Great, do you guys wanna come?" Isabel asked us.

A light bulb clicked in my head and I saw a golden opportunity. If everyone was gone, it would just be Levi and me. I rubbed my forehead gingerly and frowned, "You guys go on without me, I have a migraine," I said, technically not lying because the pills I'd taken had yet to kick in.

"Are you alright?" Mikasa asked, "Should I stay with you?"

"No, no, I'm fine, you go on ahead Mikasa. I'll stay home and watch the food," I said taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Come one Mikasa's!" Isabel called as she tugged on Mikasa's sleeve, "We'll be quick."

Farlan eyed us warily, "Are you sure? We could stop by the pharmacy and get you something for your migraine. We wouldn't be good hosts if we left you here by yourself."

"No, I'll be fine, I just need to sit down," I assured them.

"Alright," Mikasa reluctantly agreed, "Text me if it gets any worse, okay?"

"Okay, okay Mika."

The three put on their shoes and stepped out of the door. Farlan and Mikasa eyed me once last time before Isabel dragged them out of the house. I quickly closed the door behind them and smirked. I was determined to go find Levi. My pulse was quickening and I felt a surge of adrenaline. I tried to walk up the stairs, but my head was still aching. It felt like my brain was exploding and I suddenly felt very weak. _Oh shit, was I having another episode?_

I needed to sit down and breathe. I stumbled into the kitchen and sat down at the table once more. My forehead throbbed and I clutched my head. My breathing was erratic and I rocked myself back and forth in an effort to calm myself. It felt like my ears were ringing and I rubbed vigorous circles into my temples. My hands shook uncontrollably and I shakily reached for the pills in my pocket. When I fished the bottled out of my pocket, my unsteady hands twitched and the bottle fell to the floor. I doubled over the table and blacked out.

* * *

Elsewhere in the house, Levi was lazily sprawled across his bed, flipping through his history textbook. A small stack of homework was neatly stacked on the night stand next to her. He wore a plain blue shirt and dark wash jeans. He'd kicked his slippers off before climbing into bed, because god know how much dirt and grime were on the bottom of those things. His eyebrows were furrowed and he had his usual scowl pulled across his face. The bedroom window was cracked open a bit and a gentle breeze blew across his face. He put his book down and lifted his arms to stretch his limbs a bit, and he frowned. Where were Isabel and Farlan? Normally one of them would have come up to bother him by now and he was a bit perturbed.

His frowned lessened when he heard a soft knock on his door. He sat up a bit straighter in his bed and ran a tired hand through his hair, "Come in."

The mahogany door slowly creaked open as Levi continued to flip through the textbook. Out of the corner of his eye he saw long legs and assumed it was Farlan. The tall figure slowly walked into his bedroom and closed the door behind him with a soft click. He walked over to the side of Levi's bed and smirked.

"Hey there princess," a dark voice chuckled.

Levi immediately whipped his head around and gasped at the sight of the boy he had beaten just yesterday. His eyes immediately darkened and all of his senses lit up as a fire burned inside of him. He clenched his fist angrily, "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Your little sister invited me over, and you didn't even come downstairs to play with me, how rude," he pouted.

Levi tried to get up but the taller boy shoved him back onto the bed. He delivered a resonating slap to Levi's pale cheek and he chuckled darkly. Levi gripped his cheek and growled. The taller boy laughed and his hands undid the belt holding up his jeans. Levi's eyes widened, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he shouted as the taller boy pulled off his belt.

He quickly jumped onto the bed and straddled Levi with a dark look in his eyes. Levi raised his fists to strike him and yelped when the taller boy quickly gripped his hands used to belt to tie them together. The taller boy pulled on the belt harshly and leaned down to face Levi. He was so close that Levi could feel his hot breath.

"I came all this way to see you, don't you wanna play with me sweetheart?"

"Like hell I will you little faggot. Get the fuck off me before Farlan comes in here and helps me kick your ass all over again," Levi said as he spat on the brunette's face.

The boy's pink tongue darted out of his mouth and licked Levi's spit off his cheek. Levi grimaced and began kicking the air wildly. He nearly shrieked when he felt the golden eyed boy grinding against him.

"Fucking get off me Eren! Do you want me to whoop your ass again?" Levi viciously threatened as he angrily flailed against the bed.

The boy's golden eyes flickered, "I'm not Eren. From this time on you're going to be calling me Titan, but I would prefer master," he finished with a suggestive wink.


	4. Say that you Want Me

**Sorry for the wait! I want to thank everyone for all the reviews, favorites, and follows! You guys are all so sweet! **

_Just like the butterfly, I too will awaken in my own time. -Deborah Chaskin_

"Ouch, he said you looked constipated? We need to work on your flirting skills Levi," Hanji laughed as she clasped a hand on my back. We were currently outside the castle ways with our 3DMG, preparing for our afternoon maneuvering class. I was pretty sure Eren was scheduled to be at my two o clock class, and a rush of excitement flowed through me.

I sighed and shrugged her hand off. Petra gave me a sympathetic look as she shrugged her shoulders. It was the nicest way of telling me that I was hopeless. I crossed my arms over my chest and clicked my tongue in annoyance.

"I was doing fine until Ackerman decided to show up," I grunted, recalling the stoic adoptive sister of Eren. She was a pain in the ass.

"Oooh, cat fight! You should've known you'd have competition Levi!," Hanji said as she posed her hands like cat claws, "You're gonna have to step it up."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I said as I leaned against a big ass tree.

"I think you're doing good so far Heichou. You just need to warm up a bit, don't be so cold when you talk to him. You have to be able to let him in," Petra said as she readjusted her harnesses.

"Mhm," I said with a disinterested tone.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mike, Erd, Gunter, and Auruo walking towards us. I lifted my hand to shush the women. I didn't want the buffoons eavesdropping. Upon walking up to us, Mike began sniffing all of us. I rolled my eyes as I felt Mike's breath on my neck while he sniffed me.

"You smell different Heichou," Mike said with an inquisitive look.

I raised an eyebrow as Mike bent down and sniffed me again, "Tch, I don't know what you're talking about."

"That, my dear friend is the smell of lo—" Hanji began, but stopped when Petra clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Lotion!" Petra laughed nervously, "I let Heichou borrow mine because his hands were dry after bleaching his uniforms. Bleach is really harsh on your skin, you know? Heheh. He didn't want anyone to know because he was a bit shy."

All eyes fell on me and I snorted, "Got a problem with that?"

"No Heichou," they all replied and I faintly heard Auruo asking Petra if he too could borrow her lotion. She gave him a playful shove as she began conversing with Hanji. He smiled at her with a lovesick expression while her back was turned. Tch, they were clueless.

The group drifted into talking about another topic. I shot Hanji an icy glare and she smiled sheepishly. For someone so smart, sometimes the woman was really dumb. She knew that I couldn't let anyone else know of my intentions concerning Eren just yet. I didn't want any snakes whispering in his ear and supplying him with false information or gossip. I also didn't want anyone planting any ideas in his head. I wanted to boy to like me for me, not because some bone head told him to. After years of having everyone admire me for the hero they thought I was, I yearned for someone to like me for who I genuinely am.

That was something I admired in Eren. Although the boy was star struck when we first met, he quickly learned that I wasn't some super hero, and that I was just like anyone else. I had my faults and I had my quirks. The brat never felt afraid to voice his opinion, albeit he would do it in a timid manner, but he did it none the less. He never told me what he thought would please me. Eren would always speak his mind, unlike the other soldiers who were like mindless drones. We would have conversations about military planning and strategies while he cleaned my office and I did paperwork, and I loved to hear his input. He spoke to me with excitement and childlike wonder. Eren was able to look past my hero façade, just as I was able to look past his "monster" façade. When we were together, it seemed like we were normal, just for a fleeting moment. It was something I cherished.

Hopefully, I'd be able to get in some quality time with the brat today during our 3DMG class. The group of new recruits walked over to us while chatting animatedly. Eren was wedged between Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert. His face was jovial and relaxed as he laughed at something one of his friends said. A frown tugged at my lips. I wanted to be the one to make the shitty brat laugh. I kicked off the wall and signaled for the recruits to come over. A wave of silence fell over the group as my eyes crossed over them.

"You're all late," I deadpanned.

"But Heichou the class is at two and it's two now!" Sasha exclaimed.

She visibly flinched as I glared at the group, "To be on time is to be late. I expect you all to get your sorry asses out here at least ten minutes before any of my classes. I'll bet you lazy bastards didn't even stretch before coming out here?"

A low murmur erupted throughout the group as guilty looks where exchanged. I turned my attention to my nails as I let out an aggravated sigh, "And just what did you all plan on doing after you pulled a muscle out here? You'd be rendered useless. Petra and Auruo, give them a proper class on stretching. I hate to waste time, but an injured soldier would be an even bigger waste of time than wasting thirty minutes of maneuvering class."

"Yes Heichou!" they called as they took my place at the head of their group. The pair got the new recruits into formation and began the demonstrational class.

I let my eyes fall on Eren who was currently fairing far better than the other male recruits as they stretched. He was definitely more flexible than most. He certainly wasn't very muscular, but he was lean, and very lanky. It added nicely to his boy like charm. It was something I admired about the boy. He acted like a tough little shit, but in actuality, he was quite delicate, like a flower. If it wasn't for his titan healing, the boy's beautiful sun kissed skin would be littered with ugly scars and bruises.

The boy bent over and touched his toes with ease. I looked away to refrain myself from staring at the brunette's marvelously sculpted behind. I chewed my lip and willed the thoughts away as I gazed at the innocent, childlike eyes. Eren was like an angel, and I didn't want to sully his innocence before I finished wooing the boy. He had such a profound effect on my life and he deserved so much more. I was never big on affection and I certainly didn't want to spoil the shitty brat, but when I looked into those big puppy dog eyes of his, I felt like showering the boy in flowers and chocolates. Hell if Eren Jaeger wouldn't be the death of me. His warmth was enough to melt my cold heart.

I watched as Eren rose to his feet from his stretching position. He stumbled a bit and fell back onto Jean Kirstein. I narrowed my eyes as Jean shoved my angel off of him and berated him.

"What the hell Jaeger! Watch where you back up that fat ass of yours!"

"My ass isn't fat you bastard!" Eren yelled as punched Jean in the shoulder.

"Yeah right, that thing is humungous. It must be from having so many cocks shoved up it."

"What-? I'm not even gay you asshole," Eren growled.

As Eren's words rang through my ears I felt my stomach sink. I had never considered the possibility that Eren might not be physically attracted to men. The thought made my heart ache, but I wouldn't give up so easily. I always got what I wanted. _So the little shit isn't into guys? We'll see about that. _

When Petra and Auruo ended the stretching class, we moved into the 3DMG class. I let the others instruct the class because they didn't scare the brats shitless when they spoke. Besides, I'd always thought that actions spoke louder than words, so I decided I'd jump in if they need a demonstration.

"Since you guys are new to the Survey Corps, we don't really have a clear idea of how you all function as soldiers. We have designed a Titan simulation course, much like the one you went through during training to get a clear idea of your strengths and weaknesses. Keep in mind you have to control your momentum to be able to get a clean cut," Gunter explained, "if you aren't in control of your movements you lose your precision, and that's why you get shallow cuts. If you can control your momentum, you'll be able to get cleaner cuts."

"Also," Petra said, "sometimes you won't be able to go directly for a Titan's nape. If that is the case, you can make many superficial cuts to the muscle, like the Achilles' heel to stop a Titan's mobility before they heal. I want you all to focus on the precision of your cuts. We will shadow you as you move throughout the forest, understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" the group cried, eager to display their prowess.

As the group kicked off, I immediately began to shadow Eren. The kid was decent enough, but his maneuvering was subpar. His movements were too erratic and uncontrolled, much like his personality. He would shoot off in different directions without even thinking twice and he narrowly missed colliding with some of the other new recruits. He spun and twisted as he weaved through the woods with a look of fierce determination on his face. His movements were anything but graceful, but he continued to glide on. It seemed that he was still obsessed with killing Titans, even if they were fake in this case. I suppose I should applaud his enthusiasm however, because the brat looked so excited I thought he might wet himself. His blonde friend Armin struggled to keep up with him and eventually lost Eren, while Mikasa never missed a beat. I glared at the girl's back as I continued to trail Eren.

When he reached his first dummy Titan, he did a back flip and sliced the nape of its neck. The flip gave him enough momentum to slice it's nape in the blink of an eye, but his cut was shallow and not clean. He angrily mumbled to himself as he twisted around to examine his first cut. A few moments later his sister swooped in and nailed a much cleaner cut on the same dummy Titan. Eren clearly had some sort of inferior complex, because he twisted his face in annoyance after watching his sister perform.

"Mikasa you don't have to follow me everywhere! I know you want to protect me, but they're not even real Titans!" Eren shouted.

"But Eren-," Mikasa protested in a soft tone.

"Just go, okay? You're messing up my concentration," Eren said as he scouted the forest for another dummy Titan.

"Alright then," Mikasa said wearily as she tugged on her red scarf.

I couldn't help but smirk at the display. Eren was even more oblivious than I'd realize. The boy had two people pinning for his affections and he didn't even realize it. He was much too caught up in whatever was in his mind to even comprehend it. I shrugged it off as Eren stalked off in the opposite direction of Mikasa. I shot off in Eren's direction and our eyes met for a brief moment. Her angry glare met bored expression and I whizzed past her. She angrily mumbled _'damn shorty'_ before heading off. I felt my smirk widen.

As Eren continued to sail throughout the forest, he let out an excited cry as he closed in on a second Titan dummy. He did a half spin and sliced the nape of its neck. This cut was much better than the last and Eren wore a triumphant smile. He flipped over and circled the dummy Titan again and prepared to launch another attack. He performed another half spin and took a clean cut out of the dummy. Eren's smile grew even wider and he pumped his fist in the air.

He still had enough room for a third cut on the dummy, and Eren looped behind the Titan to land a third another cut. He did a complex spin and swung in to slash the titan again when he smacked heads with another recruit. Their heads met with a loud thunk, and Eren landed on the ground. The other recruit landed on a nearby tree branch and grasped his head in his hands.

"Sorry Eren!"

"Augh, it's okay Connie," Eren replied as he rubbed his forehead, "Ugh, my head."

Connie moved in to give Eren a hand, but I waved him off, "Continue the evaluation, I'll deal with Jaeger."

"Yes Heichou!" the boy squeaked as he took off.

I landed next to Eren and sighed. The boy had landed a few good hits and he got cocky. And where did that get him? On the ground, on his ass. I looked at the pitiful sight that was Eren Jaeger. He gave me a sheepish grin as he gingerly rubbed his now bruising head. I rolled my eyes at the boy and extended a hand to pull him up. He smiled at my kind gesture and grasped my hand. His hand was large and warm, and rather clammy. But it felt nice in my hand, like a perfect fit. I gently pulled the boy to his feet and my hand lingered a few more moments before I dropped it to my side.

Although I was thankful for the boy's safety, I couldn't help but marvel at his apparent lack of coordination. The boy was a tall, awkward, klutz.

"Oi, shitty brat, are you alright?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yes sir, I'm okay, just a few bruises," he answered.

"Good then. You looked like a bird with a broken wing out there Jaeger, not graceful at all."

Eren smiled sheepishly and nervously rubbed the back of his head, "I'm sorry Heichou. I was trying my best."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't apologize; you have nothing to be sorry for. You just need to work on your maneuvering, like your stance for instance. If you spin with your arms out, you will be in better control then letting your arms hang by your side like two limp noodles," I said as I looked at the boy.

"Like this Heichou?" Eren asked imitating trying the stance I described. He stood with his arms out and the triggers in both hands.

"Widen your stance a bit and bend your knees," I said.

"Like this?" Eren asked, eager to please.

At this point, my pulse quickened as I watched Eren. The sight was absolutely adorable. His brow was knotted in concentration and a childlike pout adorned his plump, pink lips. His brown hair was tousled and fell over his big, teal green eyes. I felt the urge to reach out and touch the boy. Even though he stated he had no interest in men, I couldn't give up my pursuit. Pride be damned, I would find a way to make that boy mine.

I bit my lip. I cautiously walked over to Eren and placed my hands of his hips, "No, like this."

I kicked his foot out a little and helped him plant his feet into a proper stance. His breath hitched in his throat as I touched him and his face immediately flushed pink. I was glad my face was hidden behind his back, otherwise, he would have seen my flushed face. Even though our bodies weren't touching, I could feel the heat radiating off the brunette. It was warm and inviting. I couldn't help but enjoy having the boy so close to me, and a small smile played at my lips.

I desperately tried to calm my beating heart; for fear that it might burst out of my chest. I took a deep breath and grasped his hips and moved him into a slow, mimicked spin. He was hesitant at first, but followed my lead none the less. His body followed mine as I guided him into the movement. It was like dance of sorts. When we were halfway through the spin I moved my hands to Eren's arms and made a slashing motion as we span. When we finished the rotation I reluctantly let go of Eren and took a step back.

"Get it now?" I asked.

"Y-yes, I think I understand," Eren stammered, his cheeks still pink.

"Good, this class is just about over," I said as other soldiers began flying over our heads," Come on, let's head back now, it's probably time for lunch."

"Y-yes sir."

* * *

After we made it back to the castle, I took a cold shower. I didn't want to wash Eren's scent from me, but I was covered in sweat. The cool water calmed my pounding heart. I felt I'd made a small progression with Eren, but I wanted so much more. When I finished showering, I met Hanji and Petra in the kitchen.

"Anything new happen?" Hanji asked as she began to fill her plate.

"Not really," I answered truthfully, "But I overheard that brat talking and he said he doesn't like men."

"I'm sorry Heichou," Petra frowned as she grabbed a biscuit, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm not giving up just yet," I deadpanned as I filled my plate with food that didn't look entirely disgusting.

"Good for you, you persistent little thing! You're like a fungus that won't die," Hanji laughed as we headed toward the mess hall.

I shot Hanji a glare as we sat down at our usual table. Auruo, Eld, and Gunter were already seated and happily munching away. I set my plate down along with my cup of tea. I sat at the end of the table, facing an empty seat. Hanji plopped down next to me while Petra took the seat diagonal to me, next to Auruo. I pushed around the slop of potatoes on my plate lazily.

"Where's Mike?" Hanji asked as she chewed.

"Guard duty," Auruo answered.

Petra playfully shoved him, "Don't talk while you eat! You'll end up biting your tongue!" she chastised.

Auruo's cheeks flushed and he grinned madly. I rolled my eyes and sipped my tea. My eyes trailed over to Eren's table. Most of his friends were already seated and eating, but Eren was nowhere to be seen. As I turned my head, I saw him walking out of the mess hall with a plate full of food. His hair was disheveled and he had a bit of dried drool on his cheek. From the looks of it, he boy had just woken up from a nap.

Hanji eyed Eren with a devious grin. She locked eyes with Petra in some unspoken women's language, and they both nodded.

"Eren!" Hanji called out, "Come here!"

"Come sit with us Eren," Petra said with a friendly smile.

Those devious wenches. Eren glanced at my table with apprehension and then sent a longing gaze toward the table with his friends. He shifted uncomfortably and chewed on his bottom lip.

"Oh come on, you sit with your friends every day. What? You don't have time for us oldies?" Hanji asked with a pout.

"N-no Hanji-san that's not it at all! It's fine, I'll sit with you guys," Eren said hurriedly.

"Great, you can sit next to Levi Heichou," Petra said.

"Okay," Eren said as he set his plate down and took the seat across from me.

I grasped my tea and took a long sip. What exactly where those two playing at? I watched as Eren wolfed down his food. He devoured the mushy potatoes and the loaf of bread greedily and was creating quite the mess. He then proceeded to obnoxiously slurp down his drink, without wiping the crumbs away from his mouth. I would have scolded the boy, but watching his innocent eyes, I held my tongue.

"Disgusting," I heard Auruo mumble.

I felt my eyebrow twitch as I heard Auruo's rude words to Eren. Sometimes I wondered if the man was as grumpy as me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. I sighed and wiped the crumbs from the boy's face before he could make a mess of his peas. He looked at me with wide eyes as I cleaned his cheek. He was probably confused by the kind gestures I was giving him. I had to admit, the look of confusion was adorable on his face. My squad members on the other hand, stared at me wide eyed and mouths agape, and I swore I felt Mikasa's glare from somewhere in the room.

"Tch, you're such a messy little shit," I scolded him; "Do you always need Heichou to clean you up?"

"S-sorry Heichou, I'll try to be a little neater," he said as he slowly spooned the peas in his mouth.

"So Eren," Hanji began as Eren shoveled the peas in his mouth, "do you have a girlfriend?"

Eren nearly choked on his food and quickly gulped down his glass of water. He looked at Hanji with his eyes wide. He nervously swallowed his food before he spoke, "N-no! I don't have a girlfriend Hanji-san."

I rolled my eyes. What was Hanji playing at? I already knew the boy was single, hell I knew he'd never had his first kiss just by looking at him. The boy screamed, blushing, hormonal bride, anybody could tell that. But Petra and Hanji looked like a hound that had caught onto a scent as they eyed him. Eren glanced around the table as he tried to avoid the women's gaze.

"Oh come on Eren, a handsome boy like you? Surely there's some girl out there's who has at least caught your eye," Petra teased.

"I-well not really," Eren admitted and he swallowed another spoonful of peas.

"Come one Eren, you can tell us!" Hanji prodded.

"W-well I mean Mikasa is pretty, but she's my sister, so that doesn't count. Krista is pretty I guess, but I think Ymir likes her. There was this girl Annie, but she joined the Military Police, and she kinda had a big nose. I really don't have much time for girls, I just wanna kill Titans," Eren answered childishly.

"Well since there aren't any girls who have caught your eye," Petra began.

"Perhaps there's a boy who's caught your eye?" Hanji finished.

Eren's face flushed a bright shade of red and he choked on his peas for a second time, "I-I'm not interested in men."

"Could have fooled me," Auruo murmured. Gunter and Eld silently snickered.

"Really! I'm not," Eren protested.

I quirked an eyebrow at the sudden shift in the conversation and eyed Hanji and Petra. I saw where they were going with this, and I was quite pleased. Those devious wenches.

"I think the young lad doth protest too much," Eld laughed as he sipped his tea.

"How could you know you're not interested in men if you've never tried it before Eren?" Petra asked kindly.

"I-I mean well," Eren stammered, "I just d-don't."

"Eren you know love isn't about the brain at all! It's all about chemicals and hormones actually," Hanji chirped animatedly, "and as unscientific as it sounds, love is mostly about what's in your heart. So let's think about it this way, do you find your friend Armin attractive?"

"N-no I mean he's handsome, but he's my best friend," Eren stammered.

"Reiner?" Petra asked.

"No, I mean he's handsome too and all but I told you I'm not-"

"I know, but bear with us okay?" Hanji asked, "Keep an open mind."

"Your friend Jean?" Petra asked.

"Ew! Horse face? No!" Eren said angrily. Eren's confused eyes and his flushed eyes glazed over me a moment and I smirked behind my tea cup.

"What about…" Hanji began stroking her chin.

She scanned the mess hall twice before her eyes settled on me with a smirk.

"What about…Levi?" she asked with a devilish smile.

The moment of truth was upon us as Eren stared at me with wide eyes. He opened and closed his mouth several times, and a small squeak escaped his lips. He took a deep breath before answering.


	5. Getting Under my Skin

**Sorry for the long wait I just got back from Wisconsin! I'm trying hard to update sooner rather than later. Thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows. To Diva Quinzel: First off, I love the Joker and Harley Quinn! Best dysfunctional and psychotic relationship ever! And in the manga Eren has golden eyes, but in the anime he has green eyes. I normally prefer him having green eyes, but I decided to be different this time. I think that him having yellow eyes rather than green makes Eren seem a little more aloof and more mysterious. Also, Isayama said in an interview that Levi was clumsy when it came to love, and that he was into taller people, so I tried to place off this information.**

_He crawled onto my lap and nuzzled his nose into my neck. I felt unbelievably aroused as I stared at the male in front of me, "Why are you doing this? What do you want?"_

_ Levi stared at me with a puzzled expression. He blushed and snuggled into the crook of my neck, "I don't want anything. I just want you."_

"Y-you what?" I shrieked as I shoved the smaller boy with nervous hands. I could feel a nervous bead of sweat drip down the back of my neck as Levi fell backwards onto the couch with a soft thud. He landed on his back, and pushed up on his arms to stare at me with wide eyes, a change from the normal bored expression he usually donned.

Levi quirked a thin eyebrow and cocked his head to the side as he studied me. A small smile curled onto his thin lips, "Are you playing hard to get?" he purred as he sat up on the couch.

I could feel my own eyes widen in disbelief. Where was the cold, arrogant boy who kicked my ass after group therapy? When did he become this flirtatious nymph? I ran a worried hand through my hair as Levi began slowly crawling towards me once more. He climbed into my lap and wrapped his slender arms around my neck. I felt my face heat up as the smaller male's warmth spread throughout me. I stiffened in surprise. It was strangely comforting, and confusing at the same time. What the hell was going on?

When I did not return his embrace, Levi wrapped his legs tightly around my waist and pressed a kiss to my neck, right above my jugular. His nimble hands slid from my neck down to my back. I could feel my body go rigid, but I couldn't bring myself to stop, nor encourage the enticing raven. His hands tickled me and continued to slide lower and lower. As his hands roamed my body he traced my jawline with his tongue. I could feel my eyelids flutter as he caressed me. I could feel his steel grey eyes staring at me through my lashes, and I swore I saw a smirk play across his lips as he licked me. I was unbelievably aroused, and I couldn't fathom how I went from hating the small boy to blindly desiring him. I really was crazy, wasn't I?

After licking my jawline, Levi placed a soft kiss on my nose. He licked his thin lips as he watched me hungrily. I couldn't help but stare at the soft, pink lips and wonder what the smaller boy tasted like. His hands traced lazy circles into my back as he gave me a wicked smile, "You're staring. Do you want to kiss me?"

I bit my lip nervously and stared at the raven haired boy. Was I dreaming? Had we gotten into a crash on his motorcycle on the way to Levi's house and I was now stuck in a gloriously unrealistic dream? I was trying my best to think with my brain rather than my dick, but it was nearly impossible to do with a boy I was unbelievably attracted to sitting on my lap. I opened my mouth to speak, but I found my mouth horribly dry, "W-well—I—."

"Yes go on?" he asked in an amused tone.

"I thought that you hated me?" I asked, bewildered, "You shoved me against a tree and kicked my ass and now you're sitting in my lap asking me if I want to kiss you? You-you said you weren't gay, in fact you were pretty adamant about it! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Levi nuzzled his nose into the crook of my neck and sighed, "That was then brat and this is now. You're…not quite what I expected when I first met you. I admit, you looked like a sniveling mama's boy when we first met, but there's something in you. There's fire and there's passion. I've always liked my girls feisty anyways."

"But I'm not a girl?" I asked.

Levi lazily flicked my Adam's apple and traced my jawline with a finger, "I suppose that's true Jaeger. You are in fact male; otherwise you'd be the manliest girl I've ever met anyways. Or perhaps you are the girliest man I've ever met? It doesn't really matter in any case though. So no, you may not be a girl, but there's something there. There's a beast inside of you, and I find that I quite like it. I'm willing to make an exception for you. Whether than makes me gay or bi of or whatever I don't know, and quite frankly, I don't care. I always get what I want. And I want you."

"A-and you want me?" I squeaked, pointing at myself for confirmation.

"Yes," Levi stressed, in an annoyed tone, "I thought I've made that quite clear? Now are you going to sit there all damn day looking constipated or are you going to suck me off?"

I felt the color drain from my face as I looked at the smaller, but much more built boy in front of me. I still had yet to come to term with my feelings for him let alone my sexuality. I gulped loudly, "Y-you want me to w-what?"

"Suck me off," Levi drawled as he rolled his eyes, "Did I fucking stutter?"

I could feel my breath constrict in my throat as Levi shifted his weight in my lap. There was a painfully obvious bulge in his pants now and as he moved, I felt it nudge against my thigh. Levi smirked at me and I felt his hand slide over my bare chest. He leaned forward and licked my ear as his hand tweaked my nipple. All I could do was whimper softly.

My father always said I wasn't good in stressful situations. It was one of my greatest faults. I would always lash out violently, or I would shut down completely. It happened a lot before my black outs and much more frequently when I was a child. Whenever I was placed in a stressful situation I would go crazy and attack whoever I was with and destroy whatever was closest to me. This generally happened most of the time. On the rare occasions that I didn't lash out my body and my mind would shut down and I would be reduced to a useless heap. It appeared as if I was comatose. I would slip away from my mind and fall into a deep sleep. I could only count the number of times I shut down on a single hand. The outcome was very bizarre and very rare. My father and the doctors told me that my brain was firing signals that my body didn't quite understand and my body would shut down in an attempt to cope with these misfires. These little mishaps would eventually pave the way for my blackouts and the many drugs and therapy sessions that plagued my otherwise happy childhood. And at this moment, dear gods, I mentally cursed my inability to cope. I could feel my body going lax and my mind beginning to go blank. My breaths became shorter and shallower as I felt myself slipping into a state of unconsciousness. I could see Levi's lips moving but I couldn't quite hear what he was saying.

"—ren?"

"Ere—"

"Eren!"

I looked at him.

"I'm sorry, what Levi?" I asked as I shook off the dull, and numbing feeling that ached in the back of my mind.

"Jesus brat, you were spacing out on me. Way to kill the fucking mood," he said shifting in my lap as he rested his head in the crook of my lap, "How about focusing those pretty eyes on me instead of the wall, eh?"

I blushed a deep shade of red, "You think I have pretty eyes?"

"Yes brat, isn't that what I just fucking said? Or were you spacing out again?" Levi sighed, "Man, you sure are an air head. I suppose that isn't a bad thing though. You remind me of a few girls I know. Hell, if you weren't as girly as you are, this thing between us would have never worked."

"I—what?" I asked as the blush spread from my face to my neck, "I'm not girly!"

Levi chuckled softly, "Sure you are. You've got those big, doe like eyes and those long eyelashes. Your skin is soft, and supple and pretty hairless for a guy. You barely have any muscle going on. I mean, maybe your balls haven't dropped yet and you haven't gone through puberty or something, but there's no denying, you're a twink."

My eyes hardened as Levi's words sunk in. Was he complimenting me or insulting me? I angrily shoved at Levi with an open palm, "You're one to talk! You kidnapped me and brought me to your house, ripped my shirt off and started kissing me and snuggling up on me!"

He looked at me and rolled his eyes, "Put your claws away kitty, I'm not here to hurt you," he said as he grasped my hand and pressed a soft kiss into my palm.

I yanked my hand away angrily and glared at the raven, "Girly or not, I'm still taller than you asshole."

"Mmm, that you are kitten. And it just so happens I like taller girls," Levi purred as he stretched his hand out to pet my cheek, "And that pout on your lips is absolutely adorable."

"Stop calling me a girl," I muttered as I shied away from Levi's touch.

"Whatever," he mumbled as he flicked my nose, "You hungry? Cause I sure as hell am. Wanna get outta here and grab something to eat?"

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly as Levi pulled his shirt back on and helped me into mine, "I don't know, I forgot my wallet at home this morning."

"Don't worry about, it's my treat. You're my girl now, so I'll be taking care of you from now on," he said with a smirk.

"I'm not a girl! And even if I was a girl, I wouldn't be your girl you asshat!" I shouted, "I don't have to go anywhere with you anyways! I could call my mother right now to come and pick me up right now if I wanted to! So go ahead and keep talking jackass."

"Do you not want to be seen with me?" Levi asked suddenly.

"What?" I asked.

"Do I embarrass you or something? I walked past you twice at school and you didn't say anything to me. Hell you didn't even wave or look my way. Then today in the parking lot you wouldn't even let me touch you. And now you don't want to go out with me? What gives?" Levi asked angrily, "Have you not come out of the closet yet or something?"

"What? No! I mean yes, gah I mean no! Just, just stop. Okay?" I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest defensively, "You're confusing me!"

"Then I'll simplify it for you brat, "Levi said as he pushed me down and pinned me on the couch tigtly by my wrists, "You are mine. Your mind, your body, your soul, your heart, are all mine, got that? You belong to me, and in return, I belong to you. And if I see any other bastard try to touch you I will break his fucking fingers. I never want to see your eyes stray from me, do you understand that? Keep those pretty eyes of yours on me at all times and I will treat you like a fucking princess. I'll take care of you, I'll buy you whatever you want, and I'll be a fucking gentleman. But the minute you cross me, all hell will freeze over."

I watched Levi speak a wild look gleamed in his stormy grey eyes. I wasn't happy with the raven laying claim on me. He was pushy, rude, and short tempered. I didn't like the power Levi held over me, it was thick and suffocating. This wasn't at all how I imagined my first romantic relationship to be, but the crazed look in Levi's eyes made me frightened to outright reject the older male. I already knew he could kick my ass. So I definitely wasn't too keen on finding out "what hell looked like frozen over."

I contemplated telling Levi to fuck off but at the same time I couldn't help the undeniable attraction I felt for Levi. And even if I rejected him, I would still be forced to see Levi in school and in group therapy. There would be no way to avoid any future awkward encounters with Levi and potential arguments. And if Levi decided to make my life a living hell for rejecting him, I could expect several ass whoopings in my near future. I bit my lip. Wordlessly, I nodded as I swallowed the nervous lump on my throat. For now, I would accept the odd predicament I was in.

"I-if I say okay will you promise not to hurt me? You won't hit me or beat me up or anything?"

"Yes. I promise you Eren, I won't hurt you. Okay?" Levi asked impatiently, "Do you understand?"

"Y-yes," I murmured softly.

Levi stared at me for a few moments before he released my wrists and helped me sit up. My wrists ached and I would definitely have bruises from the death grip Levi had on my wrists while he pinned me down. I sighed and rubbed them gingerly.

"Did I hurt you?" Levi asked as softly took my wrists into his nimble hands and inspected them.

"No shit asshat," I spat angrily, "How am I supposed to explain these bruises to my parents? Hell how am I supposed to explain me skipping group therapy?"

" I'm sorry. Don't worry about your parents; I'll take the blame for you when I drop you off at home later tonight. We can discuss the details later after we finish eating," Levi said after he pressed light, feathery kisses to my bruised wrists.

He gently pulled me off of the couch. As we walked to the door, Levi rested his hand on the small of my back. It made me feel like a child, and his touch faintly reminded me of the controlling tugs to my sleeve I got from Mikasa. I did my best to shrug it off. I might as well get used to it, seeing as though I was now chained to the controlling raven. But at least as promised, he acted like a gentleman and opened the front door for me. He even put the helmet on for me and helped me onto his motorcycle. I fought the urge to smack the smug look off his face as I clung to Levi as he started his motor cycle and kicked off.

We rode from his house into the city and eventually we pulled up to a small café. We peeled the helmets off and Levi ushered me inside. Immediately, a warm aroma tickled my nose. I excitedly ran to the front counter and pushed my face against the glass to stare at the delicious sweets in the window. I could feel my mouth water as I eyed a particular cake that caught my eye.

"Eren," Levi scolded me as he pulled me by the back of my collar away from the glass, "Don't press your face against that, god knows when they last time they cleaned that was!"

He immediately pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and rubbed at my face. When he was done assaulting my face he poured a hand full of germ-x into my hand and forced me to rub my hands til they dried.

"Welcome to the Recon Café!" a cheery girl with short, strawberry blonde hair said, "I'll have you know I wiped the glass down three times during my shift Levi."

"There's nothing wrong with be cautious Petra," Levi said as he rubbed his hands down with the hand sanitizer for the third time.

"Whatever you say grumpy gills! Who's your new friend? You never come here unless you're with Isabel and Farlan?" the cheery girl name Petra inquired.

"This is Eren, he's mine," Levi said as he pulled me away from the tall blonde Mike who I recognized from group therapy, as he attempted to sniff me.

"Oh, that's nice…you're into men?" Petra asked as her smile faltered a bit.

"Sure," Levi responded as he snaked his arm around my wrist, "Get me the usual, mocha frap and a cinnamon roll and whatever the brat is having."

Petra and Levi looked at me expectantly and I blinked twice, "I've never been here before, but that cake right there looks good," I said as I pointed to the delightful cake in the glass window."

Petra smiled brightly and laughed as she got out Levi's cinnamon roll and my slice of coffee cake, "Nothing to drink Eren?"

I shrugged softly and Levi frowned, "Get the brat a hot chocolate."

"Right away," Petra said as she winked at me, "One mocha frap, one hot chocolate, one cinnamon roll, and one slice of coffee cake. That'll be 12.67."

Levi handed Petra a twenty dollar bill," Keep the change. You and that crazy tongue biter boyfriend of yours can split an ice cream or something later."

"Thank you Levi! I hope you and Eren enjoy yourselves," she said sweetly as she handed us the drinks and the sweets.

Levi led us to a small table in the corner and pulled out my chair for me. He quietly ate his cinnamon roll as he watched me devour my coffee cake. He scowled when he saw the crumbs on my face and quickly wiped them off. I was quickly noticing that Levi had some kind of aversion for germs or an obsession for cleanliness. It was quite strange, but very entertaining to watch. He ate and drank meticulously. There was no mess when he ate. It was rigid, controlled, and very neat.

He also had a strange way of holding his cup. He didn't hold the side of the cup when he drank. Instead, he held the cup by the rim, as if he was shielding the cup in a protective hold. I wanted to ask Levi about it, but at the same time I didn't want to disturb his strange routine. As Levi sipped at his drink his eyes met mine.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said as I tried to avoid his steely gaze.

Levi rolled his eyes as he set his drink down, "There's obviously something on your mind. Out with it."

"Why do you hold your cup like that Levi?" I asked as I sipped the hot chocolate.

"Because I feel like it," he spat.

My curiosity peaked, "Oh come on, tell me! I don't know anything about me…and if we're going to do this…uh thing, we might as well get to know each other right?"

"You mean date?" Levi asked as he quirked an eyebrow, "As long as we are dating we might as well get to know each other. Is that what you meant?"

"Dating?" I asked, "But you never even asked me to."

"I thought it was implied."

"But this is my first relationship! You didn't even ask me out! You're just forcing everything on me and you're ruining everything!" I growled as I stomped my foot.

As I yelled, a few curious patrons turned their heads toward us and watched us intently. Levi glared at them before turning his attention back to me, "Okay, okay, no need to pout. Do you want to go out with me?" he asked halfheartedly.

"No," I said.

"No? What the hell are you going on about brat?" he demanded.

I grinned as Levi watched me with hawk like eyes. If I was going to be stuck with this asshole, I might as well make it enjoyable, right? Levi had given me his word that he wouldn't hurt me, and I was curious to see how far his patience would run.

"That's not romantic at all. Will you get down on one knee and ask me out Levi?"

"You want me to kneel in the dirty ass ground? In front of all these people," Levi asked, clearly unamused, "And ask you out?"

"Please? This is my first relationship and I want to make it memorable. But if you don't want to, I guess I understand. I guess I'd get over it…eventually," I said.

Levi looked at me with an unreadable expression and stood up. He smoothed out his jeans and pulled me up by my hand. He quickly knelt on one knee and grasped my hand. His hard, grey eyes softened and looked up at me with a soft expression on his face, "Eren Jaeger, you are a whiny, insufferable brat with the biggest, prettiest golden eyes I have ever seen. I haven't known you very long but I am completely infatuated by you and I would be honored if you would date me. Will you be my boyfriend?"

I stared at Levi with wide eyes. The bastard didn't even flinch when he touched the ground. Everyone in the café, including Petra and Mike were watching us, but Levi didn't seem fazed. So much for jerking him around. I bit my lip and sighed, "Yes Levi."

"Thank you my sweet," he said as he pressed a kiss to my hand, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure. My mother is probably wondering where I am right now."

"Would you like me to take you home?" he asked me as he ushered me outside.

"Yeah, whatever," I said as I grabbed his spare motorcycle helmet.

"Wait," he said, reaching up to grab the helmet before I slid it on.

He set it back down on the seat and snaked his arms around my waist. He pulled me flush against his chest and I could feel my ears and the back of my neck burning with embarrassment. I set my hands on his shoulders to steady myself as I felt my knees buckling. I felt nervous and my breathing was irregular. As if he sensed my uneasiness, Levi began tracing soothing circles into my back. With his free hand he grasped my chin and pulled me down towards him. I could feel my heart racing as he traced my bottom lip with his thumb and nuzzled his nose to mine.

"I want to kiss you," he murmured, "Will you let me?"

My blush deepened and I wordlessly nodded. My chest began hammering as Levi stretched his neck towards me and brushed his lips against mine. I sighed softly against his lips as he pecked me softly. I leaned into him and pressed my lips against his. His lips moved gently against mine and I felt myself melt at his touch. His lips were soft and plump, and he tasted of cinnamon. When I felt his tongue gently prod at my bottom lip, I eagerly parted my lips and gave his entrance. Our tongues melded together as we fought for dominance, but in the end Levi won. As we continued to kiss, I felt Levi nip and suck at my bottom lip. I gasped against his lips and Levi quickly silenced me with another vigorous battle for dominance. After a few more sweet kisses, we broke apart.

As we parted I panted softly. My lips were moist and bruised and my face was burning. Levi smirked at me and traced his bruised lips with his thumb.

"Not bad."

If it was possible, I felt myself blush an even deeper shade of red, "Th-thanks. You were my first kiss."

"And you were mine," Levi said as he handed me the spare motorcycle helmet, "Ready to go home princess?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled the helmet over my head, "Do you need directions to my house?"

"Nah," Levi said nonchalantly as he climbed onto the bike," I broke into the front office and read your file at school. I already know your address."

As I climbed onto the bike behind Levi, I didn't know whether to be impressed or frightened. I eventually settled on disregarding the particularly creepy piece of information as I snuggled into Levi's back. I held onto him tightly as we weaved through the city back into the suburbs where I lived. I briefly wondered if Mrs. Kirstein had called my mother and told her that I had not shown up to ride with her and Jean to group therapy. Was she worried? Should I have checked my phone for phone calls or texts from my parents and Mikasa?

As we pulled into my neighborhood I groaned as I saw both my mother and father's cars parked in the driveway. I hurriedly pulled off the helmet and hopped off Levi's bike. Levi followed silently behind me and I threw open the front door and ran into the spacious kitchen. My father was shouting over the phone as my mother sobbed loudly. Mikasa sat silently on the side, gently consoling my mother. I rolled my eyes.

"Mom? Dad? I'm home," I called, immediately drawing all eyes on me.

"Eren!" my mother shouted as she grabbed me and pulled me into a tight embrace, "Where have you been? When we heard you hadn't shown up to group therapy we went looking for you! We've been on the phone all afternoon calling you! Your father even called the police."

"Eren, son, where were you? You had us worried sick," my father said as he said down the phone and fiddled with his glasses.

"I'm sorry," I murmured as Mikasa's emotionless eyes trailed over me.

My mother wiped the remaining tears from her face and tugged on my ear, "Sie hatten mich so besorgt! Warum haben Sie nicht uns anzurufen?" she scolded, slipping from English to German.

"Es tut mir leid, ich habe gerade vergessen," I muttered as my mother gave my ear another particularly rough tug.

"Where were you Eren? Why did you skip group therapy?" my father asked as he stood up from his chair.

And as if on cue, Levi walked into the kitchen and stood next to me, "I'm very sorry for all the trouble Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger. After school I picked Eren up so we could hang out."

"Eren," my mother said as she released my ear, "Why didn't you introduce us to your new friend? Hello there young man, I'm Carla Jaeger and this is my husband Grisha Jaeger, our daughter Mikasa, and of course you already know Eren."

"Good evening, my name is Levi Ackerman," he said giving my mother and father a short handshake.

"Ackerman? Are you Lucy and John's boy?" my father asked as he shook Levi's sir.

"Yes sir," Levi said politely. I resisted the urge to openly gape at him.

"Have I seen you before?" my father asked as he scratched his chin.

"I believe so sir. Eren and I are in the same group therapy class, and we also go to school together."

"How lovely!" my mother chimed, immediately forgetting her anger towards me, "Would you like to stay for dinner dear?"

"That's a lovely idea Carla," my father said with a smile, "Eren and I will set an extra place at the dinner table."

"Yes ma'am that would be lovely, thank you," Levi said.

My mother laughed happily, "Please, call me Carla. Calling me ma'am makes me feel so old. Although I can't help but appreciate how sweet you are. Eren, you should learn from your friend."

"Oh, Eren and I aren't exactly friends," Levi said as nudged me with his elbow.

I glared at Levi and wildly shook my head. There was no way in hell he would tell them! He wouldn't! He couldn't! I'd only come to the realization of my sexual orientation just a few days ago. Would he really be so callous as to blurt it out to my parents the first time he met them? My parents looked a bit crestfallen at the news and I buried my face into my hands. Somewhere from behind me I could feel Mikasa's eyes boring holes though me and into Levi.

Levi's arm found its way around my waist once again and I could feel the smirk in his voice as he spoke, "Eren isn't my friend. He's my boyfriend."

**Once again sorry for the late posting. If there are typos, I also apologize. I wrote this chapter nonstop for three hours and I was too lazy to spellcheck.**


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